Black Circles- 'Final Straw'
There is plenty to pull out from Black Circles' latest single that's really worth embracing. It's a perfectly palatable high-energy rock number and smack in the centre of 'Final Straw' there's a really rather sumptuous middle eight which commands full attention. It makes you really admire the clear amount of jamming time this band must have spent together to produce such a well gelled collective sound. There's a good feel of crescendo and momentum and a nice chunky bass line to accompany the exciting Reuben-esque riffing that dominates the track.
But sadly, there seems to be a lot of raking over old, tired, and quite probably barren ground. Talk of a snarling 'statement of intent' and 'call to arms' in what apparently constitutes the band's philosophy can't help but set off alarm bells as unsubtly as a diamond thief weaving through a laser maze in clown shoes.
We're all a bit bored of these clichés and bands exhaust themselves by trying too hard to 'make an impact'. It sort of brings to mind Super Hans in 'Peep Show' who insists that his pub should have no lager or nuts in order to 'make a statement'. Black Circles should concentrate on cultivating the seedlings of identity that have popped their heads up in that middle eight. We could then see a change from music that is harmless and acceptable in the present into something that is really worth looking out for in the future.