Bruise Constellation

This is an album with swagger, confidence and deadbeat rock tropes, but it’s ultimately greater than the sum of its numerous indelible hooks. Mannix and Bermuda are blunt, yet tidy lyricists, who manage to inject life and truth into their starved urban personas, while carefully avoiding the type of excessive role playing that sets alarm bells ringing in the minds of the authenticity police. Circle Pit is the type of rock band that most others are too lazy to be: aligned closely with tradition but replete with the type of individuality and wit, honesty and intimacy that is usually shed in favour of blindly channelling riffs already written. Bruise Constellation sheds light on the gaudy subterranean sleaze of a Sydney rapidly devolving into a Ballardian capitalist nightmare - all tidy swept streets, pedestrian free thoroughfares and oiled seven-to-when-you-pass-out workdays. It’s also the catchiest record you’re going to hear all year.