Fony

Surrey’s Fony have created quite the two-faced album with Circles. "Helium” features a piano/acoustic guitar set up that is reminiscent of some early angst-ridden Pearl Jam, while following track "Emeritus” stings like Boy Sets Fire’s catchiest melodic hardcore. The title track is perhaps the strongest song on the album, a well-written, riff-laden instrumental ballad that displays the band’s musical strongpoint in creating memorable hooks and moods. "Strobe” displays lead vocalist Olly Gibbons’ wonderful Jeff Buckley-esque tremolo, and it’s his unique voice that really makes Fony sound different. Some interesting delay effects on the guitars help save "Black Widows & A Film Noir” from becoming a post-grunge nightmare and instead turn it into an interesting rock song. Overall, Circles is a fine effort, if anything a little scatterbrained as it branches a little too far out into different genres.