NY-based Circus Mind return “Barstool Hero” the title track of their latest album, with Mark Rechler on Keys and Vocals, Brian Duggan on Guitar, Michael Amendola on Sax, Mathew Fox on Bass, Steve Finkelstein on Percussion and Dan Roth on Drums. This isn’t some new band on the scene or an example of modern pop rock and schlock going around for the last decade or two. Instead, here we have a band with just about everything you’re looking for in rock, with a strong NOLA sound and a reggae and funk twist, and a dash of psychedelia and classic rock.
URL: https://www.circusmindband.com/
The question always comes to mind, is this a good band? Circus Mind are a good band and then some without question, especially if you’re into real musicians playing real music and blending just about every popular genre together you can think of. “Barstool Hero” is an outstanding track with Mark Rechler turning out an extraordinary performance in the studio, going over and above the norm and cutting back somewhat on the NOLA dominance found in many another Circus Mind song, as “Bar Stool Hero” is an all-around magnificent piece of music and words.
I had to check into their catalog just to know the standard they live up to, and it turns out Circus Mind have a lot to offer, and it all comes recommended just to add to what the “Barstool Hero” song and album bring to the table. And the reggae element is the strongest genre to describe it, but it’s not all, because this song also totally rocks hard as well as coming with the use of harp, piano, and all kinds of cool folksy percussion. The lurking NOLA aspect which can be found all over most of Circus Mind’s music is another easy detection without taking the song over.
“Barstool Hero” harkens back to good times when music of this quality was the usual standard or you didn’t hear anything at all, which sadly, you just cannot say about most music anymore. Circus Mind are a complex unit with all the good cliche’s in their songs, and “Barstool Hero” delivers on the level which their fans have come to expect but check them out if you haven’t heard them. They have so much gone on musically it’s not even easy to describe, with influences ranging from Little Feat to Wilco and a list of others.
The musicianship of Mark Rechler and Brian Duggan is second to none and backed by an amazing rhythm section full of mass percussion, and a sax to top it all off, making you wonder why their name isn’t big. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve heard it all because, because you can assure the Barstool Hero album provides what you want to hear, and Circus Mind do everything to deserve to stay inside music lovers’ minds. They do it all and bring back that sound you don’t get anymore, as if to pay you back for listening as it takes you on a journey and leaves you begging for more.
Garth Thomas