Juffage – Semicircle

Juffage, the solo project of Leeds’ Jeff T Smith, fits neatly into that category of dreamy indie-pop that Sparklehorse perfected years ago, but rather than striving for perfection Semicircle is more of a rough and ready approach to the genre. Smith’s vocals possess a haggard honesty that on the surface acts soothingly, yet there is an inherent discordancy that adds a stormy undercurrent to the calm.

Unfortunately, this scrappy approach is also applied to the music and whilst there are times when it works to its benefit, like when punchy blasts of horns are segued into Stop Making Music to allow a forlorn sheen to blanket the surroundings, there are just as many moments where the attempts at experimentation are too overpowering and shining crystals of melody are buried under misdirected clumps of white noise. It’s undoubtedly a heartfelt work, but it would be more evident if some of the more extreme elements were reined in a little.