Circlesquare’s debut album, 2003’s Pre-Earthquake Anthem was released through Trevor Jackson’s deeply fashionable Output label, but Jeremy Shaw’s project has hardly the most prolific of acts with only an EP, Fight Sounds, since. Under the Circlesquare moniker Shaw crafts intricate crafted tracks which reveal a little more of their delicate beauty with each listen.

Despite its bold title Songs About Dancing and Drugs is far from a floor filler for arm waving and cheek chewing – more a ‘morning after’ record or electronic folk album. The simplicity of the album’s title was inspired by Shaw’s love of the ‘directness’ of Leonard Cohen, Talking Heads and Big Black record titles such as Songs from a Room, Songs of Love and Hate, More Songs About Buildings and Food, and Songs About Fucking.

Submerged guitars smudge into electronic washes and electronic basslines lurk deep below as his voice hovers above all. Though Shaw is Canadian by birth he’s now based in Berlin he has been joined by guitarist Trevor Lawson and drummer Dale Butterfield to round out the Circlesquare project.

There’s a bruised vulnerability to the cushioned beats as the guitars scratch furtively in the flickering shadows. This is an intimate record tailored to cold nights and the sleepy mornings that follow, moving with molten pace of a Kraftwerk track. Like fellow Canadians Junior Boys, Circlesqure’s music gently lures the listener in, avoiding overt flourishes in preference for a simpler, quietly restrained emotion.

Shaw leans in close to your ear to sing with a hushed intimacy and though his voice is often layered in reverb he maintains an emotional honesty, similar in some ways to the digitized, auto-tuned effect of Kanye’s 808 and Heartbreaks record. Though this album obviously doesn’t falter under the weight of an overbearing ego or misjudged moments of unintentional humour. There’s nothing bloated here with the album gliding by with hushed grace, after this is an indie electronic record and not the latest fashion for the self proclaimed voice of the generation.

There are only eight tracks on the record, but with the eight minutes of Timely and the epic closer, All Live But The Ending, stretching to over thirteen minutes the record settles in for the long stay. From the slyly warm guitar of Dancers to the crackling beats of Timely this is an album for ‘the age of bathtub chemistry’ referenced in Shaw’s lyrics. But this is the head space music that comes after the hedonism – as Shaw sings on the final track, “In the end all/ after all/ all that anyone really needs is art and music”. And with this stunning record he easily fulfils both needs.

For more on Circlesquare check out ITM’s interview HERE