Retro-lust is fucking brilliant. For the past years, unbelievable bands have shown their musical endeavors by wedding the psychedelia of the 60s with the heavier rock of the 70s. Artists such as Jex Thoth, The Devil’s Blood and Blood Ceremony are showing the way, to be quickly followed by dreamers of the same utopic principle. Bands such as Jess and The Ancient Ones and now Purson came forth to join the carnival and to craft excellent compositions on their own right.
The Circle and the Blue Door is the debut full length from Purson. Encompassing the elements of psychedelia and acid rock along with the doom rock filled with 70s influences it slowly rises and transforms to an intriguing escape from reality. With the intro, “Wake Up Sleepy Head,” Rosalie Cunningham unveils her stunning voice that will accompany you for the reminder of the trip. Soon enough “The Contract” comes in with its excellent riffs, along with brilliant keys and powerful effects, it captures your attention with its almost mystical bass line. The mystic tone is key part of the album, with tracks such as “Well Spoiled Machine” and “Rocking Horse” with its unforgettable melody, acting as the main forces behind the darker side of Purson, while aided at the same time by their heavier moments, such as “Sapphire Wards” and its distinct doom rock presence, Purson are setting the basis for their music.
The ambiance goes then from mystical to dark, with “Spiderwood Farm” stepping in with its disturbing and equally heavy riffs; with a haunting aura circling the song, it is easily one of the highlights of the album. The main theme of the song will stay with you for a fair bit of time. However, Purson also let loose their completely mental self, with a carnival-esque vibe to certain of the songs, something very clear in “Leaning on a Bear,” with a much darker quality in “Mavericks and Mystics,” once again a track with a spectacular chorus, and in a more subtle way with “Sailor’s Wife Lament” and its more melancholic tonality.
But probably their most impressive moments is when Purson let their folky side unfold, with a healthy amount of acid rock influences. Two of most impressive moments of the album are the closing track “Tragic Catastrophe” with a heartbreaking vocal performance and a very emotional bluesy feeling, while “Tempest and the Tide” is taking you far beyond with its acoustic guitar, beautiful keyboards and an almost medieval folk attitude, with numinous tales of the devil and the deep blue sea.
It is true that lately there has been a fair number of bands trying to invoke the musical spirit of the 60s and 70s, and people might start getting a bit fed up with this. Oh, well…fuck that! The Circle and the Blue Door is an excellent album, it is diverse, very enjoyable and fucking inspired, so stop complaining and listen to it again.
