[rating=9.00]
Contrary to what you hear in the media, good things do come from Alabama. This is especially true when it comes to what may be the state’s greatest export: bands. While the state’s musical legacy is well documented, especially in regards to Muscle Shoals, its contemporary scene is thriving unlike anything the state has seen before. Politically and musically progressive outfits like Jason Isbell, the Drive-By Truckers, Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Dylan LeBlanc, and the Alabama Shakes have been putting Alabama on the map as a place that breeds talent. One of the most exciting acts out there these days is Belle Adair. Hailing from Florence, Alabama, the group mixes power pop, dream pop, and mellow rock and roll, bringing to mind acts like the Feelies, Teenage Fanclub, Wilco, and Big Star at their more subdued. Their new album Tuscumbia seems to defy what most of us might expect to come from Alabama, but may shed light on a place that just voted its first Democratic senator into office after more than two decades.
The album begins with the ray of sunshine that is “Get Away”, a song that beckons you to do exactly what its titled suggests as the band members harmonize like the Beach Boys circa Pet Sounds. Despite its upbeat sound, “Get Away” is actually about wanting to escape a bad relationship, a theme that manifests itself throughout the album. “Long Fade Out” is acoustically picked with a paisley pop sound that seems dive deeper into the deterioration of love through 60’s-style rose-colored glasses. “The Absentee” is an instrumentally triumphant tune with its drum breakdowns, subtle but powerful organ, and whispy guitar hook. Things change with “See It Through”, an organ-laced mellow groover in a 70s rock vibe that seems to shift the mood towards an optimistic outlook. “Out on the Blue” carries a basic beat and organ reminiscent of Yo La Tengo that blooms into a euphoric guitar riff and a steady rhythm. “Phantom Beach” is a clear standout on the album with one of the heavier drumbeats and some of the most clairvoyant singing from frontman Matthew Green. It is a song that could easily be a hit if this were the 90s, a dreamy nugget that pulses steadily forward and builds into a transcendent harmonious chorus that is unmistakably catchy. “Pushing the Stone” is a mellow rocker with a defiant attitude about fighting for what’s right despite the odds, soaring to new heights with some creative piano tinkering, while “Marooned” has guitar riffs that bring to mind Real Estate in a sort of hazy surf rock way complemented by bouncy bass.
The album ends on a high with “Rest Easy”, a song that feels vaguely reminiscent of Big Star’s more quiet moments and leaves us with a sense of hope, perhaps alluding to the fate of an Alabama that has recently seen a shift in sensibility. Ultimately, Tuscumbia is an album that dwells heavily in the realm of heartbreak and the many ways relationships can go awry. In true power pop fashion, the members of Belle Adair are able to spin sadness and frustration into something that sounds revelatory and optimistic. They do so in a way that recognizes their influences but is also stunningly original, shining a light on a musical side of Alabama not known to many.
