The Greatest Story Never Told, Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses

Saigon
SUBURBAN NOIZE

As much as I rail against hyperbole in criticism, damn if it isn’t difficult to not fall into that trap for this. Sometimes an album just grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go — one that finds the perfect balance between street and storefront preacher, while keeping enough of an ear for modern trends to only speak to purists and the already converted. Bread and Circuses is phenomenal. Saigon, of “Entourage” fame (I never watched, I feel obligated to point out), will likely always struggle to match the visibility afforded the cabler, and it’s a shame. I’d love to detail the politics, social struggle and scathing critiques of modern celebrity, but just in listing those three categories, I’ve already turned off most potential listeners. As we compile the year’s finest, Circuses’ slot is assured.