Color Theory - This Bright Circumstance

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Color Theory’s This Bright Circumstance moves through the complications of anxiety, stress and panic to gentler and more calming emotions. It reflects Color Theory’s past along with his experiences in gaining self-knowledge through meditation. This is music that combines intriguing synth textures, well-crafted melodies and a vocal performance that is weary, beautiful and at times heartbreaking. When one adds in the introspective, carefully written lyrics that explore the incredible diversity of emotional experience, the end result is an album that affects me profoundly.

One of the outstanding features of This Bright Circumstance for me is the way in which Color Theory combines vocal and lyrical craft. His voice is full of pensive, plaintive emotion and captures the richness of his lyrical output. There are moments of brightness leavened by mournful shadow, along with advice for living that moves me. Both elements come together to pierce me with a welter of emotion and transport me to new realms of thought.

Another excellent synergy on This Bright Circumstance is the combination of the ever-fascinating synth sounds with Color Theory’s compositional abilities. He writes melodies that are direct but deliver a powerful emotional impact, carried on synth tones that shimmer with intricate texture and depth. As these two elements complement one another, the album gains in scope and blossoms with beautiful musical moments.

Most importantly, Color Theory has spoken directly to my own experiences. I’ve struggled with anxiety and moments of darkness in my life, so hearing about his own challenges and the ways he has learned to cope with them has given me inspiration and a sense of deep connection.

My Favourite Songs Analyzed

“Where Tigers Are Said to Roam" begins with tapping, xylophone-like sounds behind lushly spinning arpeggios, joined by a steady drumbeat. Color Theory’s unmistakable vocals call out in a hopeful melody, rising above the coiling, rippling tones and fluent drums.

The vocals dynamically capture the adventurous spirit of the lyrics. A deep undercurrent rumbles as flitting notes flow easily. Color Theory’s silvery voice takes hold of me and the chorus is full of exultant energy as the low end glides smoothly past. Skittering noises tremble and voluminous bass growls while Color Theory delivers his lyrics with a touching feeling.

The chorus flows with graceful smoothness as the synth twirls while the woodsy sound of the xylophone continues to tap. The kick drum pulses strongly as the undulating notes carry the song to its conclusion.

Our narrator opens with the statement: "they say that tigers roam free in these lands." He adds that you might question how that is possible when you've never seen a tiger, even if you hear "legends of mist-covered hills" and their dangerous thrills. "The mighty roar, the savage gore" are all just folktale and rumor until you "map out a route, remove all doubt" and find out for sure by heading out into the wilderness "where tigers are said to roam."

"Don't be content to rely on hearsay" is the advice that our storyteller gives us. In order to confirm what we deny, we should "explore every region, seek out the cat in its den" and do so over and over again. He reminds the audience that it might be dangerous and you never know what you're going to find. He points out that you should still "embrace the wilderness" to courageously face "the nature of your own mind."

In conclusion, the narrator tells the audience that we have to act alone when we "set out for the great unknown where tigers are said to roam."

Reverberating sonic figures bounce along with stuttering drums to commence “The Rehearsal.” The craggy synth moves in fractured lines as Color Theory's voice is full of bittersweet emotion while the bending notes wriggle past.

The vocals ache, driving home the words and filling me with emotive sensations. Color Theory's silken voice trembles with uncertainty as the low end throbs. The widely leaping technical sounds move as the open-voice percussion continues to pop. Color Theory wraps his words in distinctive vocal sounds and his voice slides with the melody as the fragile, prismatic tonal pattern continues to shift.

Resonant melancholy fills the vocal performance and the drums tap easily. Once more, jumping synth cuts with ragged edges and Color Theory calls out with mingled emotion. As the track draws to a close, the vocals are layered and the drums and tremulous tones move together before the music fades.

The storyteller deals in daydreams and traffics in text while constantly trying to predict what the other person will say next. He says, "I pick my battles and I take my licks" while rewriting the script during rehearsal. He adds that he has something to get off his chest but isn't sure how to say it best.

Our narrator points out that tape decks eat old cassette tapes and pacing the floor wears out the floorboards. He says that he'll "grasp at smoke and call it home, shape my thoughts like molten chrome." He yearns to tell stories and break each silence but "I bottled the eclipse from my umbra to your lips."

Compulsion gets the storyteller caught in a "cognitive trap" as he's always trying to polish his act during the rehearsal. He adds, "I'm the sole architect of each pause, I preach my gospel to empty halls." He asks why he shouldn’t allow the words to “find their own flow, I can make it all up as I go.”

"Improvisation is the skillful way" for the narrator as he urges himself to trust that when the time is right he'll know what to say. He reminds himself to "let go of scenes that may never exist, live in the moment and welcome the risk."

“Thoughts Can’t Hurt You” opens as raging synth slashes harshly while the rhythm adds an assertive heartbeat. Broadly separated, sliding notes flare and descend as the lead singer cries out in choppy vocals, his voice full of trembling energy. The slicing tones pulse and the drums create an even throb while the blinding synth exudes brightness and the melody mingles encouragement with focus.

Now the song moves into a slowly undulating pulse as rough-edged notes add a smooth quiver. The way the lead singer captures the wandering nature of thought pleases me as the warm synth is joined by tumbling xylophone tones while bending notes shift and the bouncing synth cascades. His fresh, expressive voice carries the yearning vocals as the glimmering notes sparkle.

Once again, the song flows into a drifting segment in which the vocals slide past the track concludes on rippling notes and gruffer sounds before silence falls.

“Your thoughts are never dangerous, accept them without prejudice,” is the advice that our storyteller gives to us. He reminds the audience that “the only passage out is through,” and whatever you resist will come back on you.

As the narrator says, “you think your house a cluttered mess as you wrestle with uninvited guests (who) vandalize your furniture.” He reminds us to be grateful for every visitor. In a secondary message, he adds, “these patterns, like phantoms, don’t chase them.”

“Thoughts can’t hurt you, don’t usher them away,” is further advice from our storyteller. He asks the audience to invite those thoughts to stay, because they can’t hurt them. He points out, “they whisper like a breeze, if you keep the doors open they’ll come and go as they please.”

The narrator goes on to say that one can’t “reason your way out of this” because there’s no one there to bargain with. He asks, “who do you think you’re talking to?” adding that the voice you hear isn’t you. The parenthetical message is that thinking “unravels like shadows point backward.”

A digital-sounding deep sublayer is joined by hand claps and swinging percussion as “The Art of Anger” starts. Color Theory’s sonorous voice carries the slowly drifting, stretching melody above the added luminescence.

The lead synth has an unctuous sound as it carries a surprisingly uplifting melody in view of the song's topic. The root vibration throbs in extended lines as Brian Hazard imbues his voice with a dark quality and the smoothly swinging percussion moves as the auroral swells with expansive ease. The main melody sings out again with a positive contrast to the lyrics, dancing with a hip-swinging motion.

Now the bass rumbles as rapid synth flashes flit through, uncertain and a little uncomfortable. The hi-hat ticks again in a swinging pattern as a metallic, flaring motif cuts in short bursts above the weighty bottom line. I always enjoy the distinctive tone and expression of Brian Hazard’s voice. The melody leaps out, twirling radiantly through the music before the song ends.

A “master class in the art of anger” is what the narrator offers as he points out that "righteousness and wrath" present themselves in many forms. Memory is cruel and becomes "the fuel for this whole endeavor.” He points out that trauma can leave an everlasting scar. He reminds the listener that one can "keep the flame alive" through constantly reminding oneself of it.

Our storyteller talks about whispering to the flames "as you stoke the embers" and repeating the names of all those who you feel have wronged you. He speaks of holding a grudge and never moving from it or allowing distraction over it. He says that it takes work to stay angry. He adds, “Feel the hurt, keep your mind in action.” He concludes the song by reminding listeners to "dedicate yourself to reliving dying grievances.”

“Flavor” commences as the resonant bass moves with Color Theory’s echoing voice while the clapping percussion adds shape. The vocal melody is spectral as the chorus introduces a soothing element, while the layered vocals create a fascinating sonic experience.

The bouncing hang drum-like sound shifts as full tones vibrate, while the chorus is tinged with gentler feelings. The percussion has an unsettled feeling as the computerized-sounding notes dance through the music in an elastic manner.

A diaphanous sound moves briefly along with sharply twinkling notes and Color Theory’s voice captures the emotional tenor of the lyrics, interweaving with the chorus to create a fascinating harmonic effect.

I appreciate the way the melody incorporates elements of uncertainty and shifting emotion, reflecting the ideas within the song. The song ends on the bursting percussion and Color Theory’s voice fading along with a glockenspiel-like sound.

Our storyteller asks the listener why one shouldn't savour "the salt in the tears running down your cheek" because it's just a flavour, "like bitter or sour, spicy or sweet." He asks if there's any living thing that's always happy, adding that day will "never arrive."

One should "feast upon the sting of the cold, the warmth of a summer's kiss" according to the narrator as nothing else is real except those sensations. He adds that one should taste each flavour and "welcome to burn so that we might learn."

Now our storyteller reminds the audience that it's just a flavour, "like falling in love, wanting to die." He speaks of it being like a heat exchanger to "breathe in the fire of a dragon's sigh." He urges the listener to welcome the pain and "take in the unpleasant, whatever is present." He concludes by pointing out that one should be like a mirror, "reflecting what's really there."

Effortless percussion moves as tautly jumping synth is punctuated by computerized bursts to begin “Undone.” Color Theory’s fascinating, expressive voice carries the choppy melody, which stutters as a plaintive melodic line slips out with. The steady percussive pulse and digitally punching sounds contrast with the flowing vocals.

The contrast of the easy-going slide of Color Theory’s voice with the cut-up, rapidly vibrating melody is one which I enjoy. Twisted notes wriggle as bass thunders and the drums pulsate. Now the vocals become briefly choppy before they make a silken slide while brightly robotic notes tremble. The drums continue to break before the track ends.

"Our lifeblood flows into one heart, like shadows merge beneath the moon," as they are aligned "in silent grace." This tale’s teller asks where he ends and the song’s subject starts. He wonders if the thoughts are his or the other person's, as their "raw perceptions intertwine."

For the narrator, the world is "a humble prediction based on the weight of conviction." He asks if there's up or down when the centre can’t be found. He speaks about how "vision and sound blend into one," as we are living and undone. He adds, "When I close my eyes, there's no edge."

Now, as "constructs collapse" around the storyteller, he asks, "How could I stand at the boundary when every sign of what I am is all right here, contained within?" He talks about how thoughts "like whispers take their flight" and vanish into the empty night.

“Disappear” starts as the lead synth pops while a heavy rhythm moves below it. The synth sonorities have an elastic quality as they move through. Color Theory’s honeyed voice captures the dreaming sensations in the lyrics.

Diamond-edged notes trickle through above broad, slicing synth. Color Theory’s voice drifts as twisting, flanging synth moves in the background. The drum cadence keeps pulsating as the vocals float through while the song moves forward. Phosphorescent synth flickers through as gruff notes cut in below it.

A warm synth sound climbs while brilliant notes leap out and rubbery synth bends through the music. Fragile notes flit through and heavy drums reverberate along with the solid bass as trumpeting synth echoes out and the song ends with Color Theory’s unique voice.

Our narrator says that he spent a day without sleep "awakened by the dream again, just to drift away." He says that on occasion a "half remembered thought occurs" as he goes over what he should have said before. He has to fight the urge to "watch the tug of war in my head. "

"The self that sits behind your face cannot survive your inner gaze” and the storyteller says that one is free to disappear at any point. He goes on to say that it's simple to "search for the homunculus" rather than a sneak attack.

Our narrator continues, "you're not some sort of exorcist, examining the rope you hold" and checking that there's nothing attached to it. He concludes that the thing you felt like you controlled “surrendered with a smile and a laugh."

Slightly pulsating drums move with a bouncing synth that echoes out into space as “Stop Breathing” starts off . there's an luscious resonance to the sonic components as angular synth trembles through.

Color Theory’s inimitable voice carries a slightly broken melody, touched with gentleness. The rhythmic underlayer is dense and the flatly popping percussion adds an intriguing sound. The synth that flows through the music bends and wobbles as airy notes move past as gilded synth sweeps.

Color Theory’s voice is weary but tender as the meandering melody flows through the music. Metallic synth notes dance out in a slightly uncertain sounding melody as softer, rounder notes move through the music. Sharp-edged synth contributes a glistening sheen as gruff notes cut through.

The percussion has an open sound and flaring accents dance past. Brian Hazard transfers the emotion in his lyrics through his unique voice. Bending, flashing synth rises and falls as digital sounding notes shine. The song ends on metallic, reverberating synth and the popping percussion.

The storyteller says that he's a soldier at war with the atmosphere. His brain is carrying on a dialogue "like an auctioneer." He goes on to say that when he hyperventilates he sees stars and feels like he's suffocating. The process is forming scars. He talks about shutting everything down and ceasing to breathe, adding “take what you need, just what you need.”

Our narrator speaks of how he seems to “envelop myself in catastrophe” with every potential outcome "a threat to my mortality." To conclude, he talks about being as white as snow when he hyperventilates and he feels his world imploding.

Clean-sounding, rebounding notes add an opalescent glow to open *“When I Can’t Remember You.”* As they undulate and bounce, Color Theory’s vocals carry a weary melancholy as the melody doubles with his voice. The continual rippling motion supports Color Theory’s mournful but touchingly affectionate performance.

A nasal synth glides tenderly as quickly patterned tones intertwine while the vocals combine deep loss and a sense of care. The fresh-sounding notes trickle, and Color Theory’s voice breaks my heart with its emotional depth.

A trickling flash of notes is joined by the oscillating synth as it bubbles and the percussion skips. The gentle, heartwarming sound of the slightly distorted tones merges with Color Theory’s broken feelings before the song comes to a quiet close.

“In the gathering dusk, I will fade to a husk. Vital systems will fail, trains of thought will derail.” Our storyteller points out that “what you think of as me, will in time cease to be.” He asks, “can you give me a clue when I can’t remember you?” Every name and face will become harder to place, “like a verse left unsung on the tip of my tongue.”

The narrator reminds all of us that we end up as dust, “so we do what we must.” He asks to have his hand held and to be guided “when I can’t remember you.” A voice in the darkness whispers that he’s going to lose it all and he says, “(I) feel like I should apologize for what I’ll put you through.” He points out that “the faithful will testify that true love never dies,” but adds the bleak reminder that “nobody knows for sure what’s going on behind those lost eyes.”

To conclude, our storyteller says, “recollection recedes, strangers tend to my needs. Play this song in my room when I can’t remember you.”

“The Last Time” starts with hugely reverberating bass that bounces off a densely packed synth which stutters in sharp-edged emotion. Color Theory's emotionally immersive voice carries the splintered melody as the metallic drumbeat echoes with the rebounding synth.

Color Theory's voice catches the bittersweet quality of the lyrics while the chorus carries a melody that is tender in contrast to the gigantic, hard-hitting beat. The harmonies are intriguing and draw me in as the vocals capture the song’s mingled feelings.

The softly hissing hi-hat moves with the floating synth as Color Theory pulls me in with his performance. The broken, gleaming synth sweeps past in intertwining motion as the intermingled vocals flow out. Now the drums drive with Color Theory's chanting as the tempo increases.

Towering underpinnings rumble as the huge synth vibrates and the vocals carry out the song’s strong message. The chorus swells again, spreading warmth and complex feelings, as the low end continues to rebound and silence falls.

Our storyteller muses that there have to be a million things he won't do again like "sleeping beneath the stars, holding my father's hand." He adds that "when our lives are enchanted, we take it for granted, sipping on borrowed wine." He points out that we direct our attention the wrong way without mentioning that it could be the last time.

As our narrator asks himself what he'd do differently and if he'd start weeping uncontrollably, he reminds himself that "this could be my last time and I wouldn't even know." He adds with pain that "it wasn't so long ago, I kissed my son good night, then one night I let him be, figured he'd be all right."

The storyteller points out that "we're all dying in pieces and deepening creases" as we’re imprisoned by our minds. He reminds us that we can't afford recklessness with such a precious thing because it could be the last time. He says that "it may sound a bit morbid, tasteless or sordid" to dwell on harsh facts, but "these moments define you and serve to remind you" that it could be the last thing you do and you won't get the day back.

Conclusion

This Bright Circumstance is a shatteringly emotional, gorgeous musical experience that lays bare all of the complicated and contradictory responses that rest at the heart of what it means to be human. In terms of sheer feeling, this album is hard to beat.