written by Chris Familton

Sydney’s Circle Pit have been the subject of much online debate in recent months with their support slot for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, fashion spreads in Vice and assorted art and musical excursions. What they are primarily is a rock n roll band so it is a relief that they have finally released their debut Bruise Constellation to satiate the fans and either silence or antagonise the naysayers.

What is immediately striking is the lack of production tricks and sonic clarity across the ten tracks. This of course is just what Jack Mannix and Angela Bermuda needed for the album and through it they have achieved a timeless feel with enough dirt and grit in the mics and guitar strings for it to all sound amateurishly authentic. The drums in particular have a practice room flatness to them that provides the songs with a rhythmic shadow more than a driving beat.

The sound and feel of Bruise Constellation is akin to a musical polaroid. The colours are faded and washed out, the focus is blurred and scratchy. The instruments stumble along next to each other rather than tightly intertwining and it all adds up to a sound that is gloriously sloppy and shambolically appealing in some cases.

The first song that really hits the spot is Infinity. It is a Jesus And Mary Chain shuffle with Mannix pulling back from the bratty pout and whine to sing in a natural warmer tone. It works wonders for the album by pulling you in rather than keeping the listener at arms length via detached cool. They repeat the formula with more pace and verve on Another Trick, the song that has pulled many fans into their seedy realm. It contains the melodic peak of the record with the guitar line snaking around the twin vocals while the bass looms in the background with a scratchy Velvets guitar keeping it company. It is a gem of a song that shows the potential Circle Pit have if they can maintain songwriting like this.

Most of the album sits back on the curb and resorts to psych garage rock by numbers that exposes the depth of songs the band has at its disposal. Too often the riffs in songs like Dead Meat and Drowning In The Dark (where Mannix does his best Julian Casablancas impression) are half formed and don’t follow through on their promise. They sound like fillers between the trio of peaks on the album. The final peak comes right at the tail end with Beginning And The End, an understated Flying Nun jangle of a tune that works within itself and draws you to it. The guitars are richer in tone and Mannix and Bermuda’s vocals chime in unison like a lost single by The Chills.

As a debut release Circle Pit have stuck to their guns and worked comfortably within the image and reputation they have built. There is no great art concept at play, nor is there any whiff of danger or overt rebellion. Instead there are sweet melodies, dark musical corners and allusions to sordid subject matter like drug use, prostitution and the stubborn refusal to be taken down. Accusations of pretense are null and void on Bruise Constellation and if they follow their natural songwriting inclinations then album number two will be a more solid and convincing proposition.

This review first appeared on FasterLouder