Circuit Des Yeux - Overdue LP

Label: Ba Da Bing

Our Review:

Overdue is probably our favorite album of brooding gothic balladry from Ms. Haley Fohr, aka Circuit Des Yeux. This album finds Fohr weaving lushly ominous landscapes of gloomy psychedelic folk and hushed minimalism. The opening track, "Lithonia," takes a striking stance, showing Zola Jesus just how it's done, at least when it comes to fusing symphonic strings with gothic songcraft. Fohr's voice is way up in the front – deep and lustrous, rich and nuanced – while swirling around these sinister strings which blossom from dramatic chamber music backdrop into a crescendo of Bernard Herrmann stabbings "Lithonia" had us wishing for an all orchestral / symphonic record from her. Although the rest of Overdue returns the Circuit Des Yeux of old – more stripped down and folky, mostly just guitar and vocals – but no less effective. The production on this record is fantastic – from the spare dubbed out apocalyptic folk of "Acarina" – with some truly anguished vocals, lots of tripped out effects, and loads of space – to the feral distorted blown out guitar heavy "I Am" that sounds like a meaner, more unhinged PJ Harvey. The FX heavy minimal dream folk of "My Name Is Rune" is replete with backwards tape loops, and woozy buried melodies. The sprawling nearly 9 minute closer, "Helen, You Bitch," swallows a rumbling drone in clouds of noise, crumbling guitar buzz and knuckle dragging tribal drumming. It makes for killer, near metallic, churning noise-psych-dirge finale.