Belfast quintet New Pagans released a highly impressive debut album, The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All, in 2021, which showcased a propulsive form of rock-scorched indie pop with shades of PJ Harvey and Pixies.
As its title suggests, Making Circles of Our Own is a much more assured follow up. A single, There We Are John, is about the filmmaker and multimedia artist Derek Jarman, who has been described as the Queer Pagan Punk who influenced a host of other artists and musicians such as Suede, The Smiths and Pet Shop Boys, whom he all directed videos for.
Unfortunately, Jarman isn’t around any more to do the honours for New Pagans, who have already unveiled a terrific, visually arresting video for the opening track, Better People, directed by David McIntyre.
Recorded and self-produced in the Glens of Antrim last year, Making Circles of Our Own also features a tribute to a lesser known but hugely significant artist, interior designer Karin Bergöö Larsson, who is celebrated in a song entitled Karin Was Not a Rebel.
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This continues a fine New Pagans tradition of acknowledging overlooked female artists; as an early track, Lily Yeats, celebrated the famous poet’s sister in a memorably spiky guitar pop song.
Crammed with great hooks and buzzing riffs, Making Circles of Our Own establishes New Pagans as one of the island’s best purveyors of the perfect guitar pop song. Long may these Pagans reign.
