All the way from down under comes Circle. Previously strictly a bedroom recordings affair, “The Middle” marks the band’s first proper studio release. They’ve been compared to Belle & Sebastian but other than the male/female vocals, I’m not really hearing it all too often. Circle does excel at playing soothing indie-pop but whereas Belle & Sebastian harken back to an older sound, these guys and girl seem to be more influenced by the eighties with layers of synths in pretty much every song. Check out single “Fashion Me A Drum” which has ‘nostalgic’ written all over it while being danceable. The same thing actually goes for “Hold” and “I Believe”.
Not every song is a hit though. The harp-embellished “Gorgeous” for example is a bit too sappy for my taste. And while another ballad like “All My People” is already a bit better, I like Circle best when they’re more up-tempo.
For now I’m left on the fence with this one… they are obviously a band with a million ideas and the talent to execute them but not everything they do turns out equally good.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.mondayrecords.com
http://www.ilovecircle.com
Not every song is a hit though. The harp-embellished “Gorgeous” for example is a bit too sappy for my taste. And while another ballad like “All My People” is already a bit better, I like Circle best when they’re more up-tempo.
For now I’m left on the fence with this one… they are obviously a band with a million ideas and the talent to execute them but not everything they do turns out equally good.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.mondayrecords.com
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