Circuit des Yeux - “Black Fly”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Agnes Obel, Julia Holter, U.S. Girls

There’s a lot to say about the music of Circuit des Yeux’s fifth record Reaching for Indigo, but it’s obvious to start with the incredibly affecting voice of Haley Fohr. Mostly living in a remarkably low register, Fohr’s vocals have natural texture and drama even when delivered in a bass-like ambiance, but she can stretch too, like being unleashed after giving in to all the walls around her. That operatic tone is not just sung, but also growled and experimentally breathed, truly using the voice as an instrument rather than just conveying melody. “Black Fly” is perhaps the best introduction even though it takes the listener on a seven-plus-minute adventure, but that’s kind of the point. Movements of post rock and chamber folk grandeur underly the stunning single. It’s not just all pretty soundscapes with Circuit des Yeux as she explores some dissonance too on hypnotic “Geyser” and tense, pained rage-epic “Philo”. Last year, Circuit des Yeux shared another side of Reaching for Indigo with Gaia Infinitus, a five-track live set accompanied by full orchestration, a sweeping, gorgeous take on the breakthrough 2017 record. (Kevin McStravick)