Anthony Green
The complexity of Circa Survive's hard prog-punk sound takes a backseat to leaner arrangements and sensitive stories when its singer, Anthony Green, does his solo thing. The Philly-based songwriter and vocalist has gone all soft on us before, with his first solo album, the shore-themed Avalon, in 2008. But his new album, Beautiful Things, is richer, more melodic, quieter (in parts), and more sonically diverse than its predecessor. The new album works best when happy, Beatlesque, and harmony-rich, as it is on the jaunty likes of "Moon Song." Utilizing a mixed bag of tones and players (Ida Maria, locals such as Good Old War, and several cats from Circa Survive), Green sings gentle odes to his newborn son ("Lullaby," "James' Song") and occasional bouts of chemical rapture (the eerily electronic "When I'm on Pills") without eschewing his trademark emo howl and post-punk aggression ("Can't Have It All"). Beautiful Things is a sheer delight. - A.D. Amorosi