Friends of the Oval: Colour Revolutions EP

Friends of the Oval
Colour Revolutions
Bandcamp
2011-06-01

Those nostalgic for in-their-prime Stereolab and lovers of electro-lush orchestrations alike will find comfort and more in Friends of the Oval. The trio, featuring writer Michael Idov (who recently recounted his collaboration with director Miranda July on an initially ill-spirited song in New York magazine) and the opulent vocals of Julia Farhat, offer up seven sumptuous tracks on their debut EP, Colour Revolutions. Whether backing spacey pop or applying spy-thriller slickness, Farhat’s voice never seems out of place, reaching full-on conviction on the Black Box Recorder indebted “Arriviste”. She even puts in a convincing android impression on the motorik-happy “Plume”. With such a fine balance of maturity and sheen, a Friends of the Oval full-length has the potential to start a revolution on the indie-pop music scene. I think I’ll enlist today.

RATING 8 / 10