by Gabriel Karkovsky (@gabe_karkovsky)
Chastity Belt was formed back in 2010 in Walla Walla, Washington by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Julia Shapiro, guitarist Lydia Lund, bassist Annie Truscott, and drummer Gretchen Grimm. Three years later, their first record was released with the emblematic title No Regerts, followed by Time to Go Home in 2015, recalling the mid-80s and 90s British new wave, and I Used to Spend Much Time Alone, a clever and honest release. Their last self-titled album from 2019 fully assured the band’s position as deep yet casual lyricists with a pop-noise vibe.
For fans of the band, Live Laugh Love is an event. After a five-year gap during which the band members released solo singles and ventured into other projects, the four rockers reappear with eleven songs written and recorded over three years. Despite the time gap, the album is a natural continuation of Chastity Belt’s established style, and their signature is present from the first track, "Hollow." With distinctive noisy pop rhythm guitar instantly catching our attention, we delve into melancholic thoughts once we start paying attention to the lyrics about life loss and stagnation, and yet, it seems like the band members all enjoy this world.
The shoegaze vibes can’t be hidden in the following songs, whether it be "Funny" with noises interrupting melodic guitar, "Clumsy" played and sung in unusual octave ranges with an intentionally lumbering intro, or "It’s Cool" being a final acceptance of nihilism in its lyrics: “I don’t know what to think. What’s the point of anything?” Nonetheless, the title—and its catchphrase— "it’s cool" does not seem ironic. On the contrary, the calm, stable voice gives us the sensation of tranquility, despite the seriousness of the emotions behind the words, underlined by loud rhythm and half-unheard solo guitars subtly evoking some of the finest new wave tracks.
The recurrent topics of memories and friendship are present again, as proven by "Laugh," treating a sort of anticipatory nostalgia hitting us during a good time we are already missing even before it’s gone. Against that stands "Chemtrails," streaked with doomy chord progressions, mourning memories that will not fade and can’t be easily forgotten. The serious mood of the latter may partly explain its more classic rock rhythm guitar and drums and fewer loud noises, especially in its intro, being a contrast to tracks such as "I-90 Bridge" and its ears-penetrating silvery melody.
All in all, Chastity Belt has been praised for over ten years for successfully navigating the spectrum of difficult emotions and approaching them from different angles, surprising its audience with simultaneously lightness and depth. Their overall philosophy seems summarized on "Blue," a nonchalant shoegaze wink at the band’s listeners who are reassured by Julia Shapiro that “it feels good to be alive” despite all the contradictory emotions and disturbances life can bring us.