Belong: Common Era

Belong
Common Era
Rating: Grrrr

I am a shoegaze addict. I admit it, and I am not ashamed of it. Generally, if I read a review and it even mentions the term, I will likely buy it. Doesn't mean I will necessarily like it; I have lost count of how many bands have been poor imitators of my heroes My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush, Slowdive, and Swervedriver. But the call of the genre always at least peaks my interest. I was astonished to hear that New Orleans drone due Belong had released their follow up to October Language (a classic of ambient glitch drone) and it was a shoegaze record. Belong has been very restless with their sound; moving from ambient drones to more song based structures. Their last EP incorporated vocals for the first time, in addition to having a more Krautrock inspired sound, and was the first indication that things would be much different on the next full length.

Common Era begins by merging the three different styles of their sound beautifully. "Come See" erupts with blistering feedback before flowing into a muted Krautrock groove, with droning guitars, airy synths, and impressionistic vocals buried within the mix:

belong - common era - Come See (kranky) by pdis_inpartmaint

Standout track "Never Came Close," sounds like The Jesus and Mary Chain mixed with Pornography-era Cure; the chorus is a gorgeous, swirling piece of heaven:

belong 'never came close' by kranky

The songs on the album veer between rushes of epically treated guitars and echoed drum machines to more ambient, droning pieces. I will admit that the dronier pieces are not my favorite, as they tend to kill the momentum of the record. Alone, however, they are all quite lovely. The haunting "Keep Still," moves slowly and methodically, washes of guitars creating a nice bed for vocals that sound like a cry from a fog buried moor. Title track "Common Era" uses what sounds like mutated air raid sirens and a hushed beat, the vocals buried deep in the mix.

The other, more beat-driven tracks are what keeps bringing me back to this record. I love the gothic darkness of "A Walk:"



And the exquisite rush of "Perfect Life:"

belong 'perfect life' by kranky

I had a very difficult time reviewing this record and coming up with an accurate rating. There is nothing specifically original about this record, and a lot of other reviews have whined that it all sounds like a mere genre exercise. I do understand those arguments and that is likely why I teetered on the edge of a Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It rating and a Grrrr rating. Eventually though, after much deliberating, I had to allow the higher rating. Common Era wears its influences on its sleeve, but I think there is enough originality in it, especially with the more drone-like atmospheres, to make it deserving of such rating. Besides, I just can't stop listening to it. It just beautifully encapsulates a mood for me.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.