The Myrrors - Burning Circles In The Sky Album

Right now psychedelic music is one of the most explored and expandable styles of all time, open to a variety of intensities, interpretations and sonic deliveries, where artists are able to stamp their style, and then blaze into the heat of the sun, or swim gently into the light of the moon, with intoxicating delirium. And what makes this so workable is BandCamp, where bands are free to put their creations out there, free from distraction, free from the guiding hands of the music industry, and certainly free from corporate censorship, meaning that where they want to take their sound is entirely up them, and whether they achieve success or failure is based wholly on what the audience is willing, or desires to accept. Now, having said that, there is also a backside to all of this freedom, and that revolves around the notion of an outside producer, a guiding hand to let an artist know when they are stepping off the deep end, controlling their delivery, and allowing these bands to discover whom they are within the contextual integrity of someone who actually has their best interests at heart.

With all of that being said, this is where and why The Mirrors have fallen short. Simply considering their album Burning Circles In The Sky, you’ll find that there are two styles being presented, two attitudes, two emotional structures, and two presentations of the psychedelic scene. Of the six tracks on this album, the most successful and most desired are the numbers “Warpainting” and “Mother Of All Living Things,” two songs that ride on that easy going mystic melodic psych journey, melting within and embracing the listener, capitalizing on an ever flowering sedation that slowly ebbs, while delivering without hesitation or thought. On the other hand, there are the four remaining tracks that are rather edgy, holding the listener at arms length with eyes wide open. Thus, it would follow that a producer, someone outside of their sphere of influence would have better directed this band to take one path or the other, where those who enjoy the harder edges of the other four tracks would certainly be swept away by the dream-laden two, that aspect doesn’t cut the other way, where those who are entranced and enticed by the majestic washes of emotional musical colour, will certainly be put off by the more edgy numbers, leaving them failing to find a comfortable seat at the table.

By no means have I made a judgement call, what I’ve said is that The Myrrors have put too much into the space they are trying to define. Sure, you’re free to disagree, though I’d point to the fact that this album was released in August of 2008, with a limit a limited edition of 500 copies, and still, there are twenty remaining … which for me, says that five hundred people have not embraced their sound enough to purchase a physical copy in nearly ten years.

By now I’m sure that most people get that I prefer to ride the dream currents of sedated intoxication, and to that end, I’ve purchased the songs that float me away from this and their other albums, creating my own atmosphere, one that offers me a more than comfortable seat, where my eyes are free to close, feeling wrapped in the comfort and warmth of their material that speaks directly to me.

Review by Jenell Kesler