Moonlove - May Never Happen

Moonlove, a group who went unknown in their time except to a few locals in their hometown of Kent, Ohio, quietly released a masterpiece of melancholy, jangly pop called May Never Happen back in 1985, as a cassette in an edition of only twenty-five copies. Concentric Circles is proud to finally present this truly special album to the world, essentially for the first time. Arriving at a crossroads of the Undergrounds both Velvet and Paisley, with a smattering of the Dunedin sound, Moonlove managed to stand out at the time, both by wearing their folk influence on their collective sleeve and being somewhat more introverted than many of their peers, due to the reflective nature of the group's lyrics.

Even on first listen, the songs have the familiarity of an old friend that one hasn't seen in years, the conversation never skipping a beat. May Never Happen was recorded on a primitive set-up consisting of a cassette deck and a Betamax videocassette recorder, which gives the album a lovely, warm DIY clarity. The guitars have a chiming, clanging lilt that echoes the primitive lushness of the best Flying Nun releases-think Look Blue Go Purple-and the melodies twist and tangle à la Beat Happening.

May Never Happen is ten moments of miniature magic made real again, thirty-six years later, finally on vinyl. And it's an absolute treat. Edition of 300 copies with twelve-page booklet of photos and reminiscences.