I really loved Rocket From The Crypt’s Circa Now album. I’ve had a copy of it for about eight years now. It spent a couple of years in my truck. It got stolen and I went out and bought another copy. That copy’s in my wife’s car right now. I still listen to it every month or so. I’ve also listened to the stuff they’ve released since then, but nothing compared to Circa Now. Mostly, I’d listen to their new releases and shrug them off as a band trying to chase too many trends or putting together a bunch of songs fit for the B-side of a forty-five without putting out any A-sides. Live from Camp X-Ray changes that. It takes RFTC back to their original sound, back to songs that can be at once melodic and haunting and infused with a good dose of straight ahead rock. But this album also blends together some of the elements that RFTC hasn’t been able to pull off too well over the past few albums – solid horns and pop-style catchiness – without letting those elements take over the sound. When you get down to it, this album is pretty exciting. I re-ignites my faith in RFTC, and, for the first time in years, one of their albums is back in heavy rotation around here.
–sean (Swami)