First, the obligatory disclaimer:
A Lick on the Tip of an Envelope yet to Be Sent is not typical of the CDs that Candlelight distributed in 2005. Think of Candlelight in the mid-2000s, and the word that usually comes to mind is "metal" -- sometimes death metal and black metal, sometimes power metal, sometimes thrash metal, sometimes metalcore, but usually something metal-related. This 2005 release, however, has nothing whatsoever to do with metal or even hard rock. Instead,
Circulus offers an intriguing, mystical, and very eccentric blend of British folk, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and medieval music. One hears a lot of '60s and '70s influences, ranging from
Jethro Tull to
the Fairport Convention to
Pink Floyd to
the Moody Blues -- only
Circulus is much more bizarre than any of those bands. This trippy effort doesn't run away from the stereotypes of either psychedelic music or medieval folk; instead, the London-based
Circulus affectionately embraces those stereotypes, and the end result is a disc that is bound to be loved by some and mocked by others. But the band's odes to fairies, pixies, and scarecrows -- although highly self-indulgent at times -- still have a lot of meat on their bones and can be strangely charming and even ethereal. There is definitely a method to this madness, and the Londoners' ability to find some parallels between the '60s and '70s and the 13th and 14th centuries speaks well of them. Of course, that type of thing isn't unprecedented;
Ian Anderson brought a strong medieval influence to
Jethro Tull's psychedelic explorations long before
Circulus existed. But again,
Circulus is much stranger -- and
A Lick on the Tip of an Envelope yet to Be Sent offers considerable rewards to those who are broad-minded and patient enough to go along for the ride. ~ Alex Henderson