Circles open their self-titled EP with ‘…And I Called For Revolution’, which is very reminiscent of The Cure’s ‘Plainsong’ with the repetitive, soaring melodies. Circles describe themselves as a band that “make noises, record them and play them live.” Non-serious as that comment was, those noises can manage to send the listener on a most emotional rollercoaster, whilst still bringing them back down to earth and sending them off as usual again afterwards.
At a guess, Circles take their inspiration from bands such as Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, God Is An Astronaut and This Will Destroy You. What separates Circles from these artists though is the sheer emotional connection you feel to their music right from the off. There’s a certain way they’ve written their self-titled EP that just makes you long to hit the repeat button, lean back and contemplate life – they’re THAT sort of a band.
It’s difficult to imagine Circles in a live setting, but the EP is more than enough to temp you into finding out. Despite only being five tracks long, it tells a rollercoaster of stories using a variety of techniques. For example; the tapping, echoing, resounding noises used in the beginning of ‘The Light Burns Bright From Here’ are unique and intriguing. Every single person that listens to this EP will draw different conclusions from it and contemplate it in different ways.
Circles are a very surreal, ethereal experience. They’re intense yet somehow easy to listen to, and their many concepts, influences and inspirations all transpire perfectly through their music.
CHERI FAULKNER