The Belt
I heard the song “Peaches” on the radio while driving, and it really stood out to me, so I made a mental note to check out the band when I had the chance. The music can be described as “dream pop,” which I feel really suits them, a lot of the songs feel soft, ambient, and dream-like, but some of them also have a more aggressive feeling.
Track by Track
I. Peaches – Loved it. It has such a magical, ambient atmosphere. It’s calm and lowkey, but has a happy, hopeful tone.
II. Neverminders – This one is more upbeat, in your face, and it overall has a much brighter feeling. I felt like the lyrics were the weakest point, but they didn’t really detract from the whole song. My favorite lyrics were: “if you give up your life now, its all right, its all right. We’re taking it easy.” Probably my least favorite on the album, though
III. Last Soul – Immediately liked this more than track “Neverminders.” It has a more laid back feeling like “Peaches” and the simple lyrics come off as sincere instead of uncreative, my favorites being: “the road is red and the rabbits run, every eagle turns a blind eye sometimes.” I really liked the culmination of the ending, I feel like it came together in nice layers and then tore itself apart again.
IV. Hymnal – This one definitely has more of the laid back, dark feeling, especially the lyrics, which I felt were strong – I loved the imagery in them. I loved the guitar at the end and how it just contrasted with the rest of the song and added this whole other vibe. One of my favorites.
V. Stand Up – This song definitely has a more belligerent tone to it than “Neverminders” – one that meshes more with the vibe of the other tracks in my opinion. I also like the little instrumental bit in the middle. My favorite lyrics are: “Oh mirror, mirror
you are the dealer. Who is it I’m supposed to be?”
VI. Dove Season – Another slightly more low key, melancholy, delicate song. Really beautiful lyrics (after I got over the fact that it felt weird to compare love to the relationship between a dove and its hunter in my opinion). I thought it had really nice instrumentals and it’s one of my favorites on the album.
VII. Take Me Back – A really nice vibe, I really like the percussion in the background. The second verse has really nice lyrics. I feel like the contrast between the vocals and the instrumentals works really well.
VIII. Searching for a Devil – A darker more aggressive one, a nice contrast to “Take Me Back.” I didn’t think the vocals were very strong in this one, but that didn’t detract much from the song, It still has a nice feel and nice instrumentals.
IX. Lover – I liked this one a lot. It’s more upbeat but seems more insincere that II. I really liked the “hold you under” imagery in the chorus, it kept it from feeling trite and overly-cheesy. Strong lyrics overall, and I like the happy contrast that it brings.
X. Palm Tree Fire -Another darker, more laid back one. I really like the simplicity of the opening. I really like the slowness, but it doesn’t seem to drag too much, just creates a nice balance, very lush.
XI. King Tide – A more laid back, chill track that’s slow, but doesn’t drag and remains easy to savor. The lyrics are pretty weak to me. Like on the others tracks, they’re pretty simple and don’t really add much, but the song remains enjoyable. However, it did end the album on a pretty weak note in my opinion which I didn’t like.
Overall
The lyrics are simple and sometimes that really highlights their lyrical strength, but they do fall flat on a couple songs. The instrumental bits are always interesting and always add a lot to the song. The Belt has a lot of variety, from songs like “Stand Up” and “Neverminders” to “Hymnal” and “Last Soul,” and I think a lot of people can find something to like about it. I think the one big thing In The Valley Below has going for them is the atmosphere of their music, all of their songs have a very distinct tone.
8/10 – Overall, a really good album. Interesting and catchy, not perfect, but has a lot to offer. A group I will definitely keep an eye on in the future.
BLUE ROTUNDA 