Belle Histoire, a Cincinnatian female-led band, released their debut album this week and I was eager to give it a listen, having been impressed by their Spirits E.P. that came out last year. The album is entitled Dreamers, and so I was expecting a pensive ambience to the music, but the majority of this album is positively upbeat.
The first stand-out song has to be Without You, a very pretty little track with a sunny outlook. The gorgeous soft percussion and subtle accompaniment leave the pathway free for front-woman Jane Smith to take advantage of the lovely melody with her lovelier voice, and the simple harmonies add a depth to this sweet song.
Kids is heavier, and here I can almost understand the Paramore comparisons that have crept along the grapevine, but the cheerful guitar riffs, repetitive melody and sentimental lyrics keep this on the lighter side of indie pop.
We’ll Never Learn is most definitely a highlight track. A softness that enchants the listener once again shows off the prettiness of Smith’s voice and the musicality of the band as a whole is evidently impressive.
I’ll choose to ignore the predictable ballad entitled Do You Love Me, as this small dip in musical quality is more than made up for with Home, the final track. Not only a suitable title to end the album with, but a suitable song in general; pure and beautiful, Home resonates nostalgia long after the album has finished. It is undoubtedly a charming ending to a charming album.
The softer indie tracks scattered into this pleasant rock-pop album are, in my opinion, rather beautiful and I get the feeling that this is what the band does best. Not unlike The Script, Belle Histoire succeed in writing wholesome pop songs that stir a little something inside everyone, whilst remaining just on the right side of cliché. Their facebook biography states that ‘Belle Histoire has defined themselves as a band with the purpose of reinventing indie rock music’; and while I doubt that the genre has been reinvented with this album, it was a very enjoyable listen and I look forward to hearing this young band grow with experience.
Overall: 3/5
Natalie.
