Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Oct 2, 2012
    60
    Ultimately, Circles is pleasant and even fun in places, while being somewhat tedious and even boring in others.
  2. Oct 9, 2012
    67
    Circles updates a few beloved sounds that rarely sound as at home as they do here.
  3. Oct 2, 2012
    80
    Perhaps glossier and a touch more refined, Circles nevertheless stands up very well on its own terms, and complements its predecessor not in spite, but precisely because of their similarities.
  4. Oct 9, 2012
    68
    It's just solid and efficient, a period piece with modern trimmings.
  5. Oct 2, 2012
    70
    Even if it's in small phases, Moon Duo continue to evolve as they revolve.
  6. Oct 2, 2012
    70
    For the most part, the record brims with that signature fuzz, groove, and drone, but it's not monochromatic like last year's Mazes.
  7. Oct 10, 2012
    70
    If it's right to say that 'Circles' sticks close to what has come before, it also proves that Moon Duo are masters of their craft.
  8. Oct 3, 2012
    70
    Circles revels in its consistency if nothing else, and while the element of surprise is something one is unlikely to be greeted with by a Moon Duo record, they make business as usual seem like an enjoyable pastime rather than a laborious chore.
  9. Oct 31, 2012
    70
    The guitar is the wild card in these tightly reined-in, metronomically repetitive cuts. It rises in fits and starts, jabs at solid masses of beats, tests the outer limits of rigorously defined song structures.
  10. Mojo
    Nov 29, 2012
    60
    [Moon Duo] channels Velvets fuzz-rock through Spacemen 3 drone on a psychedelic trip, with wah-wah and lethargic vocal drawl. [Dec 2012, p.96]
  11. 80
    For those who can stomach its muscular experimentation, Circles is out of this world.
  12. Oct 3, 2012
    76
    [Circles] is an uncharacteristically varied, psych-y noise-pop record that just plain sounds and feels great.
  13. Oct 11, 2012
    70
    For those interested in a group that still finds ways to take Krautrock down several roads, Circles more than succeeds.
  14. Oct 2, 2012
    70
    Ultimately, though, such moments [eight-minute behemoth 'Rolling Out' and 'Free Action''s endless harping on a major seventh chord] of purgatory only make tracks like the sweetly-countrified title track and the blissful 'Trails' sound more like some kind of heaven.
  15. Oct 18, 2012
    60
    As Moon Duo have become sunnier and rockier - a trend evident on 2011's Mazes and continuing on Circles - their vision seems less distinctively their own.
  16. Under The Radar
    Nov 30, 2012
    60
    The songs occasionally tread similar ground, as with "Sparks" flowing into "Dance Pt. 3" in the same key and playing at first notice like variations on a theme. [Oct/Nov 2012, p.130]
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Feb 8, 2018
    8
    This is one of the most extraordinary albums I've ever heard. Recommended for listening for those who are in alternative genre.
  2. Dec 5, 2012
    8
    Fantastic, hypnotic Kraut-blues-freakout rock. It can get a little bit samey, but if you're on the band's wavelength it can be beautiful.Fantastic, hypnotic Kraut-blues-freakout rock. It can get a little bit samey, but if you're on the band's wavelength it can be beautiful. Like if Neil Young collaborated with Neu! back in the 70s. Full Review »