REVIEWS Click on the links below for full reviews...
"There's a lot to be said for being 'likeable'. Rubbing along. Fitting in. Well, the debut album from Faded Circus certainly meets that criterion. Its opening 'Bumblebee Lament' draws the ear in with restrained acoustic finger-picking and a lyric that muses on the little mysteries of nature - as if longing for a simpler life. Were the tracks that followed to stick to that template there would have been no complaints from these quarters. However, Faded Circus supremo, Paul Jones (not that one), moves things sideways for the rest of the album, throwing in different, equally engaging sounds into the pot. 'Solace' is set about with lush harmonies that betray a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young influence and that West Coast folk sound. 'No Care For Breaks' floats along in a dreamy haze of vocals and ambient tones. 'Maiastra' joins it in a similarly mellow mood. But it's not all downbeat. Other tunes, like 'The Winner's Way' and 'Glad To Have You Home', push themselves along cheerfully while their introspection and harmonies are redolent of Paul Simon's 1960s arrangements. Across the ten tracks on the album, Jones shows himself to be a confident, accomplished and, importantly, likeable writer and instrumentalist." (Trevor Raggatt - R2 Rock 'n' reel magazine) "Starting off an album with the song ‘Bumblebee Lament’, you know you are onto a winner. Beautifully gentle and gorgeously peaceful, but rhythmically pleasing too, a tone is set for this small acoustic miracle. A more Asian sound of ‘Solace’ fills the soul as much as the ears, using light percussive sounds. The entire album was recorded in Jones’ home using a reel to reel tape recorder which gives a stunning vintage, almost timeless sound. The echoes in tunes such as ‘Making Lists’ resonate magnificently with the other down-to-earth harmonies and a soft minimal approach to musicianship, but a sense of pace is built up with ‘A Layman’s Wish’ and ‘The Winner’s Way‘, which show Jones’ versatility in the acoustic genre, begging of gentler Kid Harpoon tracks. Arranged wonderfully as well as played beautifully, each song has a retainable familiarity, but also a simple originality that is enough to set each apart; an astonishing feat for eccentrically fantastic man. (Eloise Quince - Tasty Fanzine) "Faded Circus is the alter-ego of West Midlands musician Paul Jones. Seemingly not content with creating a delightful album of easy-going folk sounds, Jones has also coined a hugely enviable title for this project. “The Winner’s Way” shows the inquisitive, searching qualities that exist in Jones’s songwriting while also being quite the upbeat summery tune and, while “Ombudsman” seems at first a strange title for a flowery-folk song, there’s little to question as far as music and lyrics are concerned. There’s a lot to like about this album, and, unlike most, it only improves with each listen. Perhaps best of all, this album comes across as a positively unforced work by a talented young lad. Not only really good but genuine, too. Highly recommended." - 5/5(Bluesbunny Independent Reviews Online) "This starts as soft as a newborn lamb, just awoken from its slumber. It ends with the lamb slightly older, but still as mellow, and just as serene. In between it’s a loving stroll amongst the indie-folk pastures, the pace never pushed faster than a gentle gambol, the mood stilled by the music’s soothing edge. The instrumentation used on each track is nicely varied, and the use of a melodica, ukulele and homemade percussion augment the guitar work to great affect. His multi-tracked vocal harmonies also work quite brilliantly, particularly on the opening track “Bumblebee Lament” (now there’s topical for you…) and the midway beauty, “Making Lists”. Play it once and it’s a delight. Play it twice and the delight doubles. Play it a third time… you get the picture. (Leicester Bangs Reviews ) "...Crucially, though, Jones is adventurous enough to add some unlikely textures to his songs himself and this can only add to their endearing qualities. ‘Solace’ has an Asian vibe, with Eastern-style tunings and what could be a harmonium moaning away. Atmospheric outings like ‘A Layman’s Wish’ and ‘Ombudsman’ feature lugubrious drumming from guest Jay Murray and the drone-y organ and naked vocal of the aforementioned ‘No Care For Breaks’ isn’t a million miles from the kind of vulnerable ballad Julian Cope once brought to fruition so beautifully. Hell, ‘The Winner’s Way’ is more or less a pop song. And it’s also quite lovely, I might add...." (Tim Peacock - Whisperinandhollerin Reviews) "...it’s a hushed acoustic affair pitched at a level for which the term decibel seems almost too extravagant. Both In The Teeth Of Winter and Solace with its padding drums and what sounds like a wheezing hurdy gurdy on the intro, both conjure tranquil moods and while the strum of Glad To Have You Home and the frisky jig of The Winner’s Way take up the tempo, its an air of relaxation that pervades.His lyrics are similarly soothing, the near hymnal Bumblebee’s Lament populated by butterflies (cabbage white and admirals to be precise) while No Care For Breaks and Ombudsman bob on images of water. His bucolic folk has been likened to the late Elliott Smith, Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby Stills and Nash alike, though they’re all the equivalent of thrash metal by comparison. One of the loveliest songs here is titled Making Lists. A visit to the Circus should be on one of yours. (Mike Davies- Netrhythms) "...There are some beautifully crafted songs, many influenced by a recent spell Paul Jones spent in Cornwall. The musical influences range wide from the pure simplicity of Joni Mitchell’s early recordings to the best of Simon and Garfunkel. Paul Jones’s vocals soar over some very intimate guitar accompaniment with a close-mic’d style that draws you into the very personal world of Faded Circus. A style that leads this to the feeling that in a small ambient venue this material performed live will give that hairs on the back of the neck tingle so rarely available in today’s 3D TV extravaganza festivals. This is an album that has that feel of being very personally crafted by an artist who knew just what he wanted regardless of how much of themselves had to be given in achieving that cause. "A penny for your thoughts seems too much", Mr Jones sings In the Teeth of Winter. Well the thoughts of Faded Circus are worth a more significant investment."(D Jaysea - GrumpyRocker Reviews) “This next song is quite remarkable...The performing name is Faded Circus but it is in fact the work of one man, Paul Jones. He has just released an album and I think its great, he has a most unusual voice, he can reach extraordinary high notes and can harmonise with himself...and he writes great songs” (Frank Hennessy BBC Radio Wales Folk/Acoustic show) "Faded Circus is the name given to a recording project, by Paul Jones, though not that Paul Jones and I guess this way he avoids the confusion. Not that there really should be any as the self titled album steers closer to a folk/Americana course than a blues one. There's a delicate quality to the songs, almost fragile at times, a standing on the edge of an emotional precipice feel...and yet there is also an inner strength that suggests the people in the songs have the resolve to battle their way through and emerge better for the experience." (Fatea Magazine Review) “Now heres a guy he calls himself Faded Circus but basically he’s one guy his name is Paul Jones and he went into his little studio that he has at home an old fashioned reel to reel, he plays everything ukelele, melodica, guitar you name it its on it. and he’s brought out an album which will be released on the 9th May, I was looking at the sleeve notes during the song to see the name of the young lady doing the harmony with him and of course it was Paul Jones himself, what a talent, well done!” (Alf McCarthy - RTÉ Radio 1) "Faded Circus is the alter-ego of West Midlands musician Paul Jones. Seemingly not content with creating a delightful album of easy-going folk sounds, Jones has also coined a hugely enviable title for this project. “The Winner’s Way” shows the inquisitive, searching qualities that exist in Jones’s songwriting while also being quite the upbeat summery tune and, while “Ombudsman” seems at first a strange title for a flowery-folk song, there’s little to question as far as music and lyrics are concerned. There’s a lot to like about this album, and, unlike most, it only improves with each listen. Perhaps best of all, this album comes across as a positively unforced work by a talented young lad. Not only really good but genuine, too. Highly recommended." - 5/5 (Bluesbunny Independent Reviews Online) "Some of the most beautiful, chilled out music you will ever hope to hear was composed and recorded in Gloucestershire. Faded Circus' atmospheric songs capture the most beautiful sunset, the most exhilarating hilltop view or the most peaceful lakeside walk and turn them into music. Utterly gorgeous." (BBC Radio Gloucestershire) "Beautiful" (NIKO - Record Label) "A fine sense of melody" (Thomas Feiner - Musician) "No Care For Breaks is what you get when a singer/songwriter decides there's more to life than an acoustic guitar and powers up the laptop. Its an ambient and melodic equation: Neil Finn + Sigur Ros = glacial Manuka honey." (Fated Ape - Cheltenham) "This is really good music... some of the best songs I have come across on myspace in ages" (Dug Wolfsohn - Infernal Machine Recordings) "Grand bruit!" (Monster K7 - Record label) "Blown Away! No Care For Breaks absolutely killed me. To my ears you are doing things very right!" (Scott Mathews - Manasonic Records) "Without a cliché in sight, each lyric has been carefully thought out, lovingly crafted and committed to a beautiful melody. As with many artists reviewed on these pages, there is much reference to nature as a metaphor for life's strains and stresses. The songs of Faded Circus outshine them all...Transfixing and beautiful." (BBC Radio Gloucestershire) "Very marvellous!" (Andy Gill - Gang of Four) "Paul's vocals are stunning in a live setting. His songwriting won many admirers in the local audience drawing comparisons to a young Roy Harper." (Tim Chapple - Live review) "In the vein of the late Elliott Smith, Faded Circus keep the acoustic genre interesting and alive." (BBC Introducing) "Really beautiful music." (Acoustic Stage promotions - Live agent) "Very nice sounds... very organic." (Brian Deck - Producer Iron and Wine) "These songs sound great, really atmospheric. Great sounding vocals and some lovely ideas with instrumentation and noises." (Emma Pollock - Delgados/Solo artist) "Wow! Haunting, melancholy and beautiful, with a lovely vocal. This deserves a wide and reverential audience!" (Adrian Hall - Chosen One Productions)  The Copyright in these sound recordings are owned by Paul Jones. All Rights reserved All material © Copyright Paul Jones 2010. |
The self-titled album was produced as a limited edition run - featuring 10 songs presented in a card gatefold CD pack. A few copies still remain available (Standard Audio Format CD)
(NON UK orders please use the contact page for enquiry) Songs from the album Bumblebee Lament.mp3 No Care For Breaks.mp3 The Winner's Way.mp3 
24/09/11 Album Reviewed by R2 Rock 'n' Reel Magazine 24/07/11 Album Reviewed by Tasty Fanzine Online 5/07/11 Album Reviewed by GrumpyRocker online reviews. 20/06/11 Album Reviewed in July issue of Acoustic Magazine.
31/05/11 Album Reviewed by 'whisperinandhollerin' reviews - scores 8/10
11/05/11 'Making Lists' played on RTE Radio 1 Late show by Alf McCarthy 26/04/11 'The Winners Way' played on BBC Scotland Iain Anderson's show. 22/04/11 'No Care For Breaks' was played on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal 21/04/11 A selection of new reviews added to the site 21/04/11 'The Winners Way' played on RTE Radio 1 Late show by Alf McCarthy 05/04/11 Album reviewed by Bluesbunny Independent reviews online...Album scored 5/5 02/04/11 'Bumblebee Lament' featured on Totally Radio online show The Gilded Palace. 02/04/11 'Bumblebee Lament' was played on BBC Radio Wales Frank Hennessy's Folk/ Acoustic show on Saturday evening.... 29/03/11 'Making Lists' was played on BBC Radio 6 Gideon Coe |
