Bella Ruse – Bella Ruse EP
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Tour Dates 12/13/09 Loring Kitchen & Bar Minneapolis
12/20/09 Loring Kitchen & Bar Minneapolis 12/31/09 Loring Kitchen & Bar Minneapolis Discography
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trying to find real food at an all-you-can-eat buffet: plenty to choose from but curiously
homogenous, like the tapioca is the same color and consistency as the blue
cheese dressing. HOT bands scrounge for
retro hooks that they can polish up with a slick coating of synth, while the
kids eagerly line up, mouths open. Nobody
really cares that band Y is basically
the same as last year’s band X, right down to the ethnic bass player. It’s all about excess and intrigue: do it big
or do it in a way that hasn’t been done before (or do it in a way that hides
the fact that it’s been done before). Naturally,
this is any combination of MGMT, Dirty Projectors, Phoenix, Grizzly Bear, et al
(think Pitchfork “seal of approval”); or, closer to home, electro-rock
wunderkinds Solid Gold (who
cried about their lack of fame like little bitches). Amidst the fleeting charm, occasionally one
stumbles across a band that feels
new, despite an adherence to classic formulas.
These bands may value tradition over innovation, but boy do they smell
like fresh leafy greens. Even if you’ve
never heard of them.
Minneapolis duo Bella Ruse self-classify their
sound as “indie folk jazz,” but when Joseph Barker plugs in his electric, as on
opener “Push On,” the result doesn’t quite fit the categorization. The sparse, moody guitar and Kay Gillette’s
intimate vocals would be as appropriate for a sparse, moody Jim Jarmusch film
as for a smoke-filled jazz club. While
“Push On” is Bella Ruse’s standout track, the rest of the EP is quietly
pleasing. “J’ai Presque Peur” is a
smooth Pinot Noir toast to Edith Piaf and “Heart of Everyone” jangles along
nicely. When Norah Jones released her
debut, I remember being underwhelmed at first, certain that her foray into
“jazz” was one clarinet short of Lite FM.
However, after a few listens, I warmed up a bit, mostly because beneath
the soccer mom ear-bait, I could detect the slightest shade of melancholy, and
this interested me. Bella Ruse is
interesting in a comparable way (they had me at “kind of sad”). Gillette’s voice calms rather than excites
and sure, “Hold Me Close” would probably excite
a Meg Ryan character (when she realizes that the Tom Hanks character is The One*);
still, revisit “Push On” and convince me there isn’t a little Scout
Niblett/Chan Marshall angst beneath the romantic sentiments.
In his track notes, Barker admits that “Push On” was not an
immediate favorite. In fact, it took
Gillette’s persistence and encouragement from fans to convince him that the
song had a place on the EP. Although
this baffles me, I also kind of get it.
“Push On” is Bella Ruse’s “Hide and Seek”: a stand alone track that deviates from an
otherwise comfortable style. There’s a reason why I’ve listened to the
song a total of 27 times since I received the EP, except the ‘reason’ is
actually a sensation—a slight tingling, milder than goosebumps but equally
elusive. My request for the band is
simple: more, please. More blood, sweat,
tears, booze, ultra-lights, magic fairy dust or WHATEVER combination birthed
this beauty. More Pinot Noir, too.
Besides their debut EP, Bella Ruse has also released ‘Twas a Bella Ruse Christmas, a 4-song
compilation of Christmas favorites. Both
albums can be purchased digitally at http://bellaruse.bandcamp.com. For more information visit the band’s official
website or e-stalk the pair on Facebook and Myspace.
*Sadly, my Nora Ephron references are dated. Help.
12/01/2009 23:35:26 ♥ lara (
/lara206.vox.com)
♥ bellaruse.com ♥ myspace.com/bellaruse ♥ twitter.com