It's been a while since we've heard from one of Canada's finest rock exports in the last decade and they've certainly come a long long way since the days of 'The Edges Of Twilight'.

The biggest difference between The Tea Party now and then is the instruments. 'Seven Circles' strips them back to a rock three piece, just guitar, bass and drums… together with a hell of a lot of keyboards and digital effects.

With the help of legendary rock producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith) on a couple of tracks and Gavin Brown together with front man Jeff Martin on the rest, The Tea Party set forth to create their heaviest record yet.

The upside to this album is that it's a good, solid rock album that is polished enough for commercial radio, and dirty enough for the "cool" kids to like it. The downside is that when The Tea Party moves away from their world music element, they do lose a large part of their charm. Thankfully they couldn't release an album without one instrument, Jeff Martin's amazing voice.

Buffalo News, August 2004
by Jeff Miers

The Tea Party, having taken full possession of its native Canada with a blend of Zeppelin-esque grandeur and world music hipness, still isn't as big as it should be down here. That makes no sense - or maybe it does, since radio has become so segmented and partitioned that a band sounding like a modern-day version of all those fantastic bands we hear (the same songs over and over, alas) on classic rock radio has no home. Where to put the Tea Party? No one seems to know. But I do. I'm putting them in my disc player, and I'm gonna play it loud enough to tee off the neighbors.

"Seven Circles" is a big, loud, dramatic rock record. Jeff Martin, vocalist, songwriter and Les Paul-toting guitarist, has outdone himself here. Never given to understatement, Martin, bassist-keyboardist Stuart Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows have carved a nice little home for themselves on the Mount Rushmore of modern rock, and even while they've made it clear just what is in their record collections, they've also had the fortitude to make it their own.

"Writing's on the Wall" is as big as it gets and will force you to head to the corner store for refreshments to ease your trip down to the basement for a headphone session. "Oceans" drives home the point that this band is the genuine article - no Johnny-come-lately is Martin, but rather a man who clearly spent time pondering the majesty of rock, and believed that it could be art.

If you are already a fan of the Tea Party, you'll blow a gasket over this one. If not, here's your window of opportunity. The Tea Party has no American record deal - go figure - but you'll find this as an import in your favorite record store.

X-Press, September 2004
by Sarah Thillagaratnam

The Tea Party’s new album Seven Circles really grows on you. Like all Tea Party albums, this one takes a few listens to really get into, especially since it’s a very positive and uplifting album – a dramatic departure from their previous CDs that are renowned for their darker, more atmospheric vibes. A return to pure rock goodness, Seven Circles is a lot subtler with the use of electronics and exotic instrumentation that previous albums like Transmission and Triptych were overflowing with and, in this sense, it’s a lot less complex. Strangely enough, the first track Writing’s On The Wall’s main guitar riff sounds like something out of a Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave song, which seems totally out of place on the album. But overall, Seven Circles is a very touching and feel good album with beautifully inspiring tracks like Seven Circles and Star Gazer but still includes the harder rock songs like Luxuria and the remarkable track Coming Back Again.

Chart Attack, August 2004
by Caitlin Hotchkiss

For a band known for their eclectic sounds and instrumentation, this is probably the Tea Party album that flirts most with the current mainstream. Old-school Tea Party fans might mourn this subtle shift, but don't condemn the band for the occasional nu-metal riff or the unexpected (yet enjoyable) duet with Holly McNarland on "Wishing You Would Stay." On "Luxuria," The Tea Party hearken back to their early days, with Eastern-inspired guitar rock. Despite Jeff Martin's more aggressive vocal tones, they can still produce a heart-wrenching ballad, as is evident in "The Watcher" or the glorious "If I Promise An Ocean." Once again, The Tea Party have crafted an album that will please those who like their rock music cultured, multi-faceted and intelligently beautiful.

The Advertiser (Australia), September 2004
by Sean Fewster

A new Tea Party album immediately brings one thought to mind: "Well, it's about time." The last time Jeff Martin and Co regaled us with their heavily mystic tunes was back in 2001 with The Interzone Mantras.

Sadly, that same thought – "Well, it's about time" – tends to plague Seven Circles. While all the right high points and key notes are there, each track has a loose, unpolished feeling that leaves you waiting for the next good hook rather than losing yourself in the song.

That said, a second listen proves the band still has the allure of days past, from the energy of the disc-opening Writing's on the Wall to the beautiful, Cure-esque Oceans.

Three tracks guest-recorded by seemingly omniscient producer Bob Rock sit uncomfortably with more classic songs like Luxuria and Wishing You Would Stay (complete with a cameo by Canadian songstress Holly McNarland).

Yet at the same time, Rock's influence shows a new side to the Party that is well worth future exploration.

Seven Circles is unlikely to win the band any new fans – tunes that are different and a departure are hardly radio-friendly – while loyalists may be somewhat put off on the first run-through. But patience pays off handsomely, revealing a layered, yet raw attempt to both celebrate the band's past and lay the first cobblestones of its future. ***

Access magazine, August 2004
by Andrew Endswell

When they put their minds to it, The Tea Party can make some primo radio fodder. Seven Circles balances all of the now veteran Canadian rock trio’s varied song types: middle Eastern-influenced exotica (‘Luxuria’), melodramatic ballads (‘If I Promise An Ocean’, ‘The Watcher’) and straight-up rock stompers (‘Writing’s On The Walls’). Don’t come looking for anything unique – this is solid if typical Tea Party – although Jeff Martin’s constant use of the word “soul” suggests that the singer may be going through his own dark teatime of the soul. Jeff?
7

Montreal Gazette, August 2004
by Jordan Zivitz

If you come to the Tea Party for Eastern embroidery and mystic conjurings, dust off Splendor Solis and light those incense sticks. These days the trio is chasing a leaner vision. Continuing in the direction mapped out by 2001`s The Interzone Mantras, Seven Circles is the most straight-ahead hard-rock album yet from a band that will always take a few detours to foreign lands. Lead single Writing`s on the Wall tunes in to Rage Against the Machine`s Testify, and the monstrous riffing on Overload is a four-minute condensation of Jeff Martin`s lifetime of rock`n`roll dreams.
Even at the Tea Party simplest, nothing is ever simple - Oceans features Martin´s most vulnerable vocal, but would have been even more poignant if a few layers of decor had been peeled away. Conversely, the title track has the well-earned epic feel of vintage Tea Party, and fades out on a finely wrought solo as articulate as any of the album`s lyrics.

Winnipeg Sun, August 2004
by Darryl Sterdan

"Darren," the e-mail began -- not a good sign. "We're about to start recording our new Tea Party record. Any advice to give in order to get a better review from you? ... Thanks, Stuart, The Tea Party."

My response? Two words: "Yeah, right." Can you blame me? After all, it's not every day -- or any day, frankly -- that rock stars petition me for input. I figured I was just getting punk'd by some wiseass kid with a bogus TeaParty.com address.

Long story short: I wasn't. After several more letters -- all of which I answered snidely -- Stuart got a mutual friend from their label to assure me that Stuart Chatwood, the bassist from The Tea Party, was indeed e-mailing me. By that time, of course, Stuart was fed up with me and didn't respond to my apology. Can you blame him?

Had he been a bigger glutton for punishment, however, my advice could have been summed up in another two words: Lighten up. As in, stop trying so hard. As in, enough with the bombastic songs and bloated arrangements and mystical lyrics and Middle Eastern flavours and endless overdubs. As in, how about making an album where you just plug in, crank up and rock out?

Well, after sampling their sixth disc Seven Circles, I started to believe that Stuart and his bandmates -- singer-guitarist Jeff Martin and drummer Jeff Burrows -- might have done just that. The first few tracks on this 11-song effort are some of the least affected and most energized work they've done in ages -- even stronger perhaps than 2001's so-called back-to-basics outing Interzone Mantras.

Opening single Writing's on the Wall boasts a swaggering, muscular guitar riff, a pumping, funky backbeat and a simple, instantly familiar refrain. Stargazer ramps up with some neck-sliding power chords before launching skyward with a surging, melodic chorus. One Step Closer Away, like its title, is a yin-yang affair that alternates between a smoky low-wattage groove and some dinosaur-howl riffage. Not bad, I said to myself -- three tracks in and not an oud in earshot.

Sadly, I spoke too soon. After that strong beginning, the boys lose their momentum. And Seven Circles devolves into -- sorry, Stu -- just another Tea Party album. As in string sections. And exotic percussion. And squiggling, swirling synths. And long-winded, plodding power ballads. And every other cliche that people dislike about The Tea Party. There is an oasis in this painted desert: Overload, a blast of chugging classic-rock swagger that's one of three cuts produced by hitmaker Bob Rock. After that, Seven Circles' second half slowly but surely winds down to nothingness in a series of forgettable mid-tempo rockers and yearning, turgid ballads.

And that really is too bad. Partly because the band seemed close to a musical breakthrough. And partly because I would dig hearing a Tea Party disc that rocked from front to back. But mostly it's a bummer because the only rock star who ever asked me for advice sure won't wanna be pen pals after this.

In fact, I figure if I get another letter from Stuart, it will consist of two words -- and they won't be lighten up. Can you blame him?