STONE CIRCLE
385 NEWCASTLE STREET
Released 2009

The debut album from Perth band STONE CIRCLE, “385 Newcastle Street” rocks and rolls along at a brisk pace, only occasionally betraying the players’ origins in cover bands with some overly-familiar influences.

There’s a little Van Halen here, a little Blink 182 there (‘I’m No Idol’), some great musicianship throughout, and a couple of tremendous ballads in ‘Song 4 Kate’ and ‘Angel’, yet the listener is most likely to be impressed by vocalist Jeremy Harris’s bluesy and expressive voice. All in all a solid and enjoyable debut, but if their currently being recorded second album can harness a bit more of the fire and soulful passion of their live shows, and hone their songwriting direction and sound a little more, then it will be an absolute winner.

Shane Rockpit