Oakland, California’s Flying Circles evolved out of Colleen Johnson and Evan Hashi‘s long-running Olympia, Washington-based project Twig Palace. After years spent playing in other bands (The Hive Dwellers, Upside Drown, The Mumlers, Shaggy Sample, Silver Shadows), the two came back together, adding on AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad) guitarist/keyboardist Preston Bryant on synths, to form Flying Circles. Their debut album, Of Loving Grace, comes out June 15 on Antiquated Future Records.
This is a fascinating album, swirling post-punk angularism in a pink and purple fog of drowsy psychedelia. Johnson’s dreamy soprano brings to mind Tanya Donnelly, Hope Sandoval, and Julia Cumming of Sunflower Bean. The exotic, opiated “Hidden Mountain,” with its hints of Sahara-bluesy guitar and Cambodian-pop melody; and the Celtic-braided “Disaster” are our faves, but the whole thing is super, and we heart it. Please listen, and share if you agree!
