Bruising. Genuinely bruisng. It was a quality of music when I turned twenty and headed towards my thirties. Husker Du. Sonic Youth. Pixies. Mt Bloody Valentine. Sugar. Grunge.Some of these bands really had such power, resonance and dtive that you felt rhey were out to peel your skin where you stood.
It's great to hear that quality. That dissonance. Ambient Shoegazy duo Belong are back and their latest record Realistic IX. creates 'sonic landscapes from dense sheets of guitar generated noise.' Largely lacking vocals though they do deploy the indistinct vocal device, the sound of Kevin and Belinda inhaling and exhaling breathlessly. Standing close to their mics as of they're making love to one another. That signature sound that made MBV so intense and remarkable.
Belong, a New Orleans based duo look incredibly intense in their mugshots. They appear as if they've just been hauled into a cell and are expecting a long gaol sentence and stretch. This is a blistering record. Claustrophobic. Straining for air like Harry Lime at the end of The Third Man, his face pressed up against the vent, fingers clawing at he sky.
Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones have been working together for over twenty years now. Their debt to Kevin and Belinda, to Bob Mould and Grant Hart in particular is clear. But life itself is a work in progress and this is a very welcome addition to a noble canon.
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