These post-grunge inspired alt rockers ”“ you’d know best from Channel V Launchpad’s last season ”“ lock in unbridled enthusiasm but mediocre songwriting on a debut that engages but fails to capture. With its debut Circus treads a fine line between musical virtuosity and pretentious self-indulgence.  The album sustains a racy pulse, a sense of hysteria crystallised in Arsh Sharma’s manic guitar phrases and Abhinav Chaudhary’s fluid bass ministrations. Popular Circus numbers ”˜Mind Therapy,’ ”˜F.O.P.S’ and ”˜Swindpittle’ that have been on the gig circuit for a while haven’t changed form on the album. But it’s tracks like ”˜Tension Wires,’ a carefully entangled mess of frizzy guitar lines, and ”˜Tag,’ a melodic yet cantankerous beast that induce some fetching vitality into what sometimes becomes a bit of an overdose of Sharma’s fiery licks and tremolo abuse. Somewhere in the process of making this album, the craft of patient songwriting has been traded for impulsive spells of instant gratification. The vitriol-laced lyrics vent and spew but often slip into juvenile junk like “Can you fuck me/Can you feel me/Can you suck me” (”˜Reconcile Me.’) The tracks also blend into each other, reinforcing a sense of uniformity that does nothing to help the album. While this record is enjoyable for a first listen thanks to its frenetic teasers, this frivolous effort can’t withstand the test of time.
Key Tracks: ”˜Tension Wires,’ ”˜Tag’
