The Divided Circle - These Regrets (EP)
Release date: Feb, 2014
Genre: Electronic, Post Rock, Downtempo
Label: Lonely City Records
This duo from Britain started as an online project in 2010. Krystian Taylor and Jon Rees then relocated back to their hometown, Bristol, in 2012. There they were joined by two more members for live shows: Liz Dobson and Tor Elcock (A superhero name if we ever saw one).
This album starts with the song "The Bright Lights" and what a great way to start the album. The first half of this song is very relaxed and sets the mood for the vocals. When the vocals kick in, around the halfway mark, they enchant and demand attention. Jon Reed lends his voice to the song and does so wonderfully. It is hard trying to get anything done while listening to him in my headphones. Simply bewitching. The guitar mixes beautifully with the electronic vibe. The selection of instruments and sounds are just perfect and borders on minimalism. Easily my favorite track on this album.
The next one is the title track "These Regrets". The drums kick in very early with an electro disco feel. You don't have to wait as long for the vocals in this one as the first track. It is Krystian Taylor's turn to light up the front of the stage. Notably different than Reed's voice, but not less of a talent, he sets a different atmosphere. Rather simple lyrics but they get you mouthing the words after having heard it once or twice.
"Monster" is the title of the third track. This one is more down tempo than the title track. Guitar mixes beautifully with the rest of the instruments in this one again. This song is just over 3 minutes and that is just too short. At the end you wish for a minute more. The lyrics in this one don't paint a picture in your head by themselves but do so with the assistance of the instruments. Good track but too short.
Next up is "Transience". Just over 4 minutes of enjoyment. Instruments and vocals create a nice pool of water where you want to bathe and not think about anything. The lyrics are rather sad but supported happily by the rest of the song. That being said, this song doesn't leave much behind when you get to the next song.
And that song is "All At Sea" and is the final track on this album. It starts by grabbing your attention and holds it for the remainder of the song. This track is almost 5 minutes long and the vocal kicks in soon after the minute mark. If you listen to this in a black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am you might feel like Knight Rider. Luckily, the chances of you being David Hassellhoff are only 1 against 7 billion (Sorry Mr. Hasselhoff if you are reading this. You rock). The computerized voice fits well with the rest of the song and the beat is simple and enjoyable. As the song fades out in the end you are left with the disappointment that you just listened to the last song on the album.
Overall: When listening to this album I had to remember that the vocals are not really in the foreground. The vocals are only used as an instrument to add to the overall atmosphere of the album. The lyrics are simple but anything but naive. It is well produced but might not be an album you come to again too quickly after you forget it. It is also, regrettably, only an EP. The songs were also on the shorter side. That makes them more radio friendly, even though I will probably never hear this on the radio, sadly. They leave you wanting more songs and more material to listen to. If you have the chance to add this record to your collection I recommend you do so. I will be looking forward to their next release.
Here is their FB page if you want to hear from The Divided Circle yourself: https://www.facebook.com/tdcircle
Listen if you like: The Daft Punk score from Tron, White Lies
Author: Hlynur M.
No comments:
Post a Comment