SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CIRCUIT 3 – METANOIA: MUSIC FROM THERAPY

CIRCUIT 3
METANOIA: MUSIC FROM THERAPY
MORTALITY TABLES

Circuit 3 is Dublin-based musician Peter Fitzpatrick, and Metanoia: Music From Therapy is the first Circuit 3 release since 2022’s Technology For The Youth. This primarily instrumental album is synthesized chill music. It is Fitzpatrick’s own blend of Durutti Column and later day Tangerine Dream. The songs have strong melodies and within the melodies there is emotion and drama. Through his composition and arrangement, he is able to convey emotion, and he uses electronics very effectively.

Fitzpatrick deals with textures and musical landscapes. He crafts each song with a strong synth base and accentuates each song with additional sounds and melodies. Each song is distinct and interesting. There are a number of surprises throughout the album. For example, the opening track, “Cracked Eyes,” uses spoken word very effectively, while “Where Are We Going” features sparse acoustic piano with a great deal of silence for emphasis. Other songs are more experimental, such as “Shielding From The Past” which does have ambient elements but shifts gears throughout the song.

The cornerstone song of the album is the closing track. Not only is “The Hope” the longest, but it is also the most powerful. It draws the listener in, into almost alien landscapes. The song, co-written and co-produced with Erasure’s Vince Clarke, allows Clarke to revisit the work he has done with Martyn Ware. It is not the same, but it is in the same ballpark. This is not Clarke and Fitzpatrick coming up with a synth-pop hit, but rather an involved and moody (and at times very dark) almost classical music. It is chilling and the perfect way to end the album.

There is a great deal going on here. While, at times, it is very sparse and there is a great deal of space, there are still multiple layers that come together to help Fitzpatrick reveal some of his inner thoughts and emotions. It is not easy listening, in fact at times it is uneasy listening. But it is rewarding. Metanoia: Music From Therapy is certainly the strongest album released under the Circuit 3 moniker and is well worth your time and energy.

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