Bread and Circus play rough-hewn country-rock on their debut CD, which has some shades of
Neil Young when he's in his most down'n'dirty mood, or a bit of cowpunk on some of the brisker tunes, and perhaps a bit of the early-'70s Rolling Stones when they had a country drawl, as you can hear on "My Devil" and "Radar." On the whole, however, it's country-Americana-tinged roots rock with a slightly weary and cynical feel, though it's not laidback, with some grunge and flame to the electric guitars. You'll find this vibe in a lot of roots rock of this type, of course, and this record doesn't stand out as being either one of the better or worse of its ilk. Some of the characters and stories inhabiting these songs are living out dangerous, on-the-edge scenarios that aren't fully dramatized by their somewhat blurry articulation (and, for that matter, somewhat blurrily mixed vocals). ~ Richie Unterberger