Little known singer-songwriter Kelley Stoltz, who in 2006 made one of my favorite albums that year with his Below the Branches, is finally back with his follow-up record entitled Circular Sounds. For those who didn't hear Below the Branches, it was a pleasant mix of Ringo Starr-type vocals over Velvet Underground influenced musical arrangements that, while steeped in retro vibes, still sounded fresh and exciting.

Circular Sounds is also steeped in all things retro sounding, but while Branches felt like Ringo at the forefront, Circular Sounds for the most part feels like a lost Kinks record. Stoltz's voice eerily echoes that of Ray Davies (ironically his new solo album you'll also see reviewed) throughout Circular Sounds and the music is garnished with bits of influence from Arthur here and Village Green Preservation Society there. Kelley hasn't completely lost his penchant for The Velvet Underground however. "The Birmingham Eccentric" chugs along at a pace that would fit next to anything off of Loaded and opening for The Raconteurs in the summer of ‘06 must have influenced Stoltz as well because "Gardenia" is reminiscent of the acoustic work of that other Jack White band The White Stripes. Overall, Circular Sounds doesn't muster up to the greatness of Below the Branches (due to its weaker back end that overstays its welcome) but overall it's an affable release from an artist who deserves a hell of a lot more attention from the mainstream media than he's received in the past half-decade.