Searching for unity amid rampant hatred and division, Flobots lay down urgent messages (and potent grooves) on The Circle in the Square. The Denver-bred combo’s ability to sling politically barbed rhymes with a punchy rock edge seems more relevant than ever in the Occupy Wall Street era. The double-pronged rap attack of Jamie Laurie and Stephen Brackett doesn’t shy away from confronting the ruling class, as songs like “Run (Run Run Run),” “On Loss and Having," and the title track show. Reaching beyond militant war cries, Flobots attempt to transcend history in “Gonna Be Free” and touch a spiritual chord in “Wrestling Israel.” The band’s information-dense lyrics are framed in an unpredictable mix of riffs and rhythms, topped off by Mackenzie Gault’s protean viola work. From the ‘70s blaxploitation soundtrack vibe of “Sides” to the Deep Purple–ish metal menace of “Occupy Earth” and the buoyant folk beat of “The Rose and the Thistle,” there’s an almost dizzying amount of musical variety here.