I love when I receive an album that is just different. Sometimes the plethora of prog albums can be tiring, and an album of fresh air and lovely passion is just what I need. This new album from That Joe Payne hits all those notes, even the prog ones, and is a delight. It’s called Bread & Circuses and it released on September 22nd.
I’ve been following Joe for years. I heard him first as the vocalist for The Enid, and I was captivated by his voice. His subsequent solo outings and guest spots have all been just as ravishing, if not more so. For this album, he handles vocals, piano, keys, and programming, and he brings along with him Oliver Day and Joshua Ryan on guitar, Esmeralda Edwards on bass, Josh Green and Jake Perrett on drums, and Moray Macdonald on trumpet.
Bread & Circuses is a fascinating album. It features a wide array of sounds and tones, from theater to cabaret, from prog rock to 80s pop, from singer/songwriter fare to 90s pop. It’s an album that comes off as flirty, sensual, and diva-driven as it does emotional, epic, and lyrically powerful. There is a slight sense of irreverent humor in the air, too, which adds personality to an album that is already bursting at the proverbial seams.
I understand if some might not like all the sounds on this album, but my recommendation is to toss all apprehensions to the side and just embrace Joe for all he is. His work here is beautiful and brilliant in so many ways, and I love how accepting of himself he has become. I love, too, how he touches on the likes of Freddie Mercury and other legends, all while remaining himself in the deepest ways.
This is a great album with eight tracks that all feel quite different. I love the 80s progressive pop sound of “Falling in Love is Easy”, the opener. That song is easy to love and you’ll be singing along with it before you’ve even heard it all the way through once. I love the atmosphere and reverb. Yet, then comes “River Run Dry” with its late 90s pop vibe—my wife asked if I was listening to N’Sync—but the song is so damn catchy that I think even the snobbiest prog snob can like it if they just let go a little.
It only gets better, though. “My Heart” is a favorite for its truly epic and theatrical display; it’s one of those songs that feels like it should have been written already, but here Joe is creating it. His vocals are extraordinary here, and the ravishing sense of scale is so impressive. Then comes a lower key number, “Plastic Grass”, with its odd imagery and spunky verses; it doesn’t have the scale of “My Heart”, but somehow it feels just as epic.
The album plays like that. “Live the Dream” is sort of a cabaret, energetic piece that is so much fun. “Despite Everything” follows as another theatrical spectacle with great keys and so much heart. Then Joe throws in a funny and crazy track “Fucking Fucked”; I’ll admit that songs like this don’t normally connect with me, such as a similar tune on the recent Muse album, but this one is just so hilarious. I really like it. The album closes with the title track, and it might be my favorite overall. I love how it brings in the Queen dynamic, but contrasts it with intimate verses, meaningful lyrics, guitar fireworks, and pure class. It’s a fantastic ending.
That Joe Payne continues to impress me with not only his vocal capabilities, but also his heart, soul, and musical brilliance. Bread & Circuses has something for everyone, and it may stretch you in ways you don’t expect. Give this one a shot.
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The PROG Mind 
“My Heart” is clearly a James Bond pastiche, and a very good one at that.
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