This is their best yet and possibly the best of the year.
It still defiantly goes against the grain, but also explodes with immediate, attention-grabbing riffs.
Once again, the three brothers have cemented their status as one of the most exciting bands around.
Perhaps it's the result of spending their adult lives on a major's dime, but this record is fueled by a naïve belief that radio hits are achievable and can be strong-armed.
I Should Have Helped ... is a fuzzy, K Records-style lo-fi ballad that knows its charm lies in its brevity, and Back to the Bolthole is an impressively heavy sludgeathon – but it's all a little too faithful to its template to be truly arresting.
The Brazen Bull is a slightly flabby beast.
Although this may not be a masterpiece in the repertoire, I can’t say that it lacks anything in particular, in fact, the opposite is true. It gives too much
Decidedly '90s in its sound, Belly falls somewhere between a doomed American college radio band and a one-album-only British copycat band.
My relationship with British indie-rock has deteriorated so much over the years. This album is as by the numbers as it gets.
Standout: Pure O
Favs: Arena Rock Encore with full cast
Least fav: I should have helped
1 | Glitters Like Gold 4:13 | |
2 | Come on, Be a No-One 2:36 | |
3 | Jaded Youth 3:52 | |
4 | Anna 3:03 | |
5 | Confident Men 3:01 | |
6 | Uptight 4:11 | |
7 | Chi-Town 3:19 | |
8 | Pure O 4:15 | |
9 | Back to the Bolthole 4:48 | |
10 | I Should Have Helped 2:30 | |
11 | Stalagmites 4:26 | |
12 | Like a Gift Giver 1:17 | |
13 | Butterflies 2:51 | |
14 | Arena Rock Encore With Full Cast 2:39 |
#3 | / | DIY |
#8 | / | NME |
#21 | / | The Fly |
#22 | / | The Guardian |
#37 | / | Gigwise |