Belly
King
»
Belly
King
Sire, 1995
RiYL: The Breeders, Throwing Muses, Bettie Serveert, Juliana Hatfield |
In 1993, she showcased her own singing and songwriting talents when Belly's debut album Star was released. The record was received with mild success, due in part to the single "Feed The Tree,'' but faded from the charts with little fanfare.
Some, viewing Donelly as a musical drifter, passed Belly off as yet another side project. A year and a half later, Belly's King established the band as Donelly's most creative and successful venture. In contrast to Star, on which Donelly wrote all but one of the 15 songs herself, King showcases the benefits of collaborative writing. Less than half of the 11 songs on King were solo efforts.
The best tandem seems to be Donelly and guitarist/pianist Thomas Gorman, the writing team responsible for such gems as the rocking "Red'' and the album's first single/video, "Now They'll Sleep.'' Both of these combine ultra-catchy pop hooks with Donelly's soaring vocals to capitalize on Belly's unique brand of alternative rock. The band also shows prowess at slowing down the tempo, on songs like "Silverfish'' and the album closer "Judas My Heart,'' which feature Gorman's piano skills as well as the normal four-instrument lineup.
Major personnel changes for the band include new bassist Gail Greenwood, who replaced Fred Abong only a month after the release of Star and new producer Jack Joseph Puig, famous for his work with Jellyfish, the Black Crowes and the Grays.
These changes, along with the new songwriting format, make for a bit of a different sound. One would be less prone to spot an instant hit among the new batch of songs. But there are many satisfying tunes that show off Belly's complex pop sound.
Lyrically, Donelly runs the gamut from a fairy-tale narrative about a child wishing for Martians to come and take him away from this world in "Red," to a stab at the music industry's dehumanization of the artists it tries to popularize in "Super-Connected."
The songs on King are intricately crafted and might take a few spins to really catch a listener, but they comprise a very well-constructed alterna-pop album.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.