Circumnavigate is a Norwegian-born, London based Alt-Pop four piece. With an EP coming up for release this is the third single from it and 'Keep a Moment' is available from Friday 27th November.
They’ve had some success with previous 2020 singles ‘Layer you up’ and ‘Shy Love’ with a lot of Spotify streams, and they’ve had coverage numerous times in NMR since 2015.
When the entertainment industry shut down, the band was determined to stay productive, penning lots of new music remotely. On this occasion they’ve used strings supplied by The Parallax Orchestra, who have worked with Eminem but, I’m happy to say, there’s no rapping here, bro.
The song themes itself on those happiest moments in life; the ones you wish you could live in that could last forever. It was written in the ‘aftermath of lockdown’ (I don’t recall we got that far in the North!), and with in-house production courtesy of lead singer, Sigrid Zeiner-Gundersen and drummer Ross Leslie Craib, who is distinctly not Norwegian, because he’s Scottish.
It was only when I started listening to the song that I realised they have a female singer, and I still don’t know her name. I wish bands would put this information on social media. But I won’t let that minor irritation distract me from what is a charming little song, one which possesses a perfect balance between a simple piano accompaniment and orchestration while the voice of the Lady with No Name could lullaby you to sleep.
I notice that they have composed music that has featured in a film, ‘Almost Paris’, as well as in advertisements such as one for a Norwegian bank. I mention that because sometimes I hear a song which immediately tells me that it can be synced into a film or TV programme. Right now I can’t get the excruciatingly catchy ‘Hello’ by Dragonette from the Apple 5G advert out of my head. 'Keep a Moment' bears no resemblance to it but I’ll wager it will turn up somewhere eventually, possibly in a soppy rom-com; it’s simply got what it takes to do that.
Release date is today Friday 27th November.