This album sounds like it was recorded in a draughty scout hut on a cheap tape recorder. I absolutely love it. The first thing that came to mind was “Faith” era The Cure. Synths, guitars and bass are so washed out and monochrome and distorted as to be indistinguishable from each other. The vocals are perfectly suited, sounding like the vague complaints of a mumbling teenage ghost. As the album plays on, the references keep coming and the pedigree gets better. I can hear some of the poppy fuzzy elements of My Bloody Valentine and the vast spacious sounds of Flying Saucer Attack but despite this range of references, Belong have created a sound that they can safely call their own.
This album highlights a few things to me that I have known for some time but needed confirmation of. Firstly, it’s not the toys you have, it’s how you play with them. Uber-producers are everywhere but it is rare that they manage to concoct an actual song that makes you feel actual somethings. Secondly, I have missed lo-fi records. Everyone has become so obsessed with quality of production and technical ability that they have forgotten that a Polaroid can have just as much charm as hi-res super stereo bollocks vision. Belong trust in their vision and so do I. Lets hope that this becomes the cult classic that it so closely resembles.
Kim Monaghan
belong ‘perfect life’ by kranky
