Friends of the Oval

Those nostalgic for in-their-prime Stereolab and lovers of electro-lush orchestrations alike will find comfort and more in Friends of the Oval. The trio, featuring writer Michael Idov (who recently recounted his collaboration with director Miranda July on an initially ill-spirited song in New York magazine) and the opulent vocals of Julia Farhat, offer up seven sumptuous tracks on their debut EP, Colour Revolutions. Whether backing spacey pop or applying spy-thriller slickness, Farhat’s voice never seems out of place, reaching full-on conviction on the Black Box Recorder indebted “Arriviste”. She even puts in a convincing android impression on the motorik-happy “Plume”. With such a fine balance of maturity and sheen, a Friends of the Oval full-length has the potential to start a revolution on the indie-pop music scene. I think I’ll enlist today. - Maria Schurr, PopMatters - PopMatters

"...July and I agreed to collaborate on the lyrics. My band, Friends of the Oval, would then record the song, after which July would film herself listening to it and contributing her part: spoken commentary—and a maracas solo. July approached the latter as sincerely as anyone has ever approached a maracas solo. She even auditioned a pair of maracas for me: “They are more decorative than professional, don’t seem very loud to me,” she e-mailed from L.A. “Do you think I need to get more real ones?” (...) - New York Magazine

"Calm, beautiful and grown-up songs that value harmony and precision over volume and histrionics. FotO reminded me of some of my favorite bands on the Morr Music label, and also, despite the female vocal, of The National: they have the same kind of outlook, that of intelligent people observing the world and noticing the same flaws and ruptures." - Alexander Gorbachev, Afisha - Afisha Magazine