EP REVIEW: When Only the Music is Pretty – Circlons
CIRCLONS is a collaborative project orchestrated by LA-based Kjehl Johansen, of URINALS and TROTSKY ICEPICK. Their debut EP When Only The Music Is Pretty is a mash-up of artists and genres, while still attempting a cohesive sound. With a different vocalist on each track, the risk of a chaotic, scattered sound is high, but it allows them lots of room for experimentation. While there are only four songs, it will precede a full-length album.
Opening the EP is I Wanna Be On Your Radio (Not In Your Arms) – a pop-rock track. With an upbeat, classic rock instrumental, it is immediately relaxed but fun. The vocals by John Talley-Jones of URINALS and 100 FLOWERS tell a story of choosing music over a person. After the intriguing first verse though, the track starts to feel a bit repetitive. While the chorus is simplistic but charming, it goes on a little too long. It’s a shame, because the first verse showcases what the song has to offer, and it feels like the rest is really lacking. While the unique guitar solo breaks the song up, this opening track feels like it could have been more impactful.
Next is the title track, which has more of a folk-rock feel, with the treat of a string-quartet to accompany it. Adam Marsland of COCKEYED GHOST does the vocals for this one, and it’s a lot more structured. The lyrics are beautiful and fairly emotional, but the instrumentals could do with some more variation. The chorus has a whimsical energy, and the strings accompanying it reflect the lyrics perfectly, making this song particularly memorable.
Lisa Kekaula of THE BELLRAYS sings on the powerful Blue Cheer, a somehow upbeat and simultaneously devastating track about domestic violence. The lyrics are extremely powerful and uplifting, and the song is almost too short. Kekaula’s vocals are beautiful, and they are pushed to their limit while still sounding effortless, which is extremely impactful. With some R&B influences, CIRCLONS prove they are capable of different genres.
Ending the EP is Moon Over Babaluma, an improvised spoken word track with Barbara Manning speaking. It begins with ambient drawn out guitars that layer and quickly increase in tempo. While the instrumental does create anticipation and ambience, it feels slightly too long and drawn out. When the spoken-word finally begins, the music has almost completely ended. Manning’s voice has a reverb effect, which is a good effect but makes it slightly difficult to always make out what she is saying. The lyrics are well-written, but too short for the build-up, and the music soon begins again.
Taking on an EP with a different vocalist and genre for each track is a very admirable thing to attempt, and while it sometimes works amazingly well, some of the tracks can fall short. While CIRCLONS might not have hit with every song, they have proven they can be fairly successful at different genres, and will do so even further on a full-length album.
Rating: 6/10
When Only The Music Is Pretty is set for release on October 7th via self-release.
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