Transmitter, $9.99

Transmitter (2002)
2002’s Transmitter signaled something of a sea change for the band that had previously recorded and toured under the name You Were Spiraling. While the group streamlined its persona a bit by dropping the “You Were” from its moniker, songwriter/vocalist/ keyboardist Tom Brislin dramatically broadened the band’s sonic palette by infusing his new compositions with a harder synth-rock edge and a brighter pop sheen. Charged by the exuberant playing of bassist Bob Hart and new members Marty O’Kane (guitar) and Paul Wells (drums), songs such as “(Get Your Own) Holy Grail”, “The Connection”, and “Lightning Twice” show a group that has broken out of its prototypical origins and into new and exciting territory.

Challenging Stage (2004)
With Challenging Stage, Spiraling veered away from the intricate production techniques of Transmitter slightly, opting for an edgier, “liver” sound. To that end, all of the basic tracks for the EP were recorded live in the studio, with a minimum of overdubs. The songs that result, from the molten hard rock of “A Face for Radio” to the addictive pop of “Sugar”, rock with all of the musical sophistication that the band had become known for, but with a newfound sense of urgency and verve.

Challenging Stage, $4.99

Do You Hear What I Hear?, $4.99

Do You Hear What I Hear? (2006)
Spiraling’s rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, an exuberant mash-up of the classic Christmas carol and The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”, had already become a much-anticipated highlight of the group’s holiday shows when the band decided to record it in 2006. Released as a “stocking stuffer” for the band’s fans, it became a surprise hit, receiving significant airplay on major commercial stations in the New York area and generating a flurry of downloads.

Time Travel Made Easy (2008)
On its new release, Spiraling combines the elegance of Transmitter with the rawness of Challenging Stage, and manages to improve upon both. The band once again recorded all of the core tracks live (most in just one take), so songs such as “Victory Kiss”, “The Future”, and “Are You Here” come across with all of the presence, intimacy, and energy of a live performance. At the same time, the sweeping cinematic landscapes of “The Concept of the Quantum-Mechanical Bodymind Has Sparked a Great Idea”, “Enemy”, and “Time Machine” show that the band is more than comfortable using the studio as an instrument to get its vision across. Brislin delivers his most coherent and heartfelt musical statement to date, and the airtight rhythm section of Hart, Wells, and O’Kane are in top form. More than just a collection of songs, Time Travel Made Easy is an album in the classic sense of the word, with a musical and narrative thread that binds together love, failure, hope, regret, redemption… and quantum mechanics.

Time Travel Made Easy, $10.99