ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Neon Circus
DON’T GET PANICKED JACKET POCKET RECORDS 23.8.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
Ok, I just need to say this – if you listen to this album, please do not judge it purely on the opening track. There, I have got that out of the way. So, moving swiftly on... Neon Circus are a three-piece hailing from Leicester, original members Mackinlay Smith and Dan Gooch formed the band in 2008 with Dominic Kealey. The album mixes digital rhythms, disco beats, drawling indie vocals and driving guitars. Think the Stone Roses meets The Music, Leftfield and Death in Vegas. Their sound is not new, nor is it the best I have heard - they do what they do well, and in a catchy enough way to keep the listener interested in a radio friendly way. Being catchy isn’t enough though. As the album progressed I found myself becoming increasingly irritated with the clipped, stereotypical indie vocals. I’m not averse to this, some of my favourite bands are not dissimilar (the Sunshine Underground for example), but Neon Circus just didn’t quite lure me in enough for me to overlook this irritation. Standout tracks for me were ‘Don’t Get Panicked (Part 1)’ (probably because it doesn’t have vocals so was a welcome change) and ‘Remember’ probably because they went against the grain of the rest of the album – something I would like to hear more of. With enough swagger to shake a stick at this album isn’t a bad effort, I quite like the electro-indie vibe and this album has that in abundance – heavy basslines, sneering vocals. The album is a bit ‘samey’ but not a bad effort for a debut. I’d like to see them forge their own sound – these guys are talented but at the moment are in danger if being lost in the masses. www.myspace.com/neoncircusmusic |
