Live Laugh Love has all the right things for those looking for another Chastity Belt album: memorable songwriting, hooky guitars, pretty harmonies, a moody and dreamy atmosphere. By the sound of it they definitely have no means of dropping in quality or personality.
Washington band Chastity Belt have the moody demeanor, shimmering guitars, and dry humor that can make any indie rock fan happy. The indie four piece's aesthetic reminds me of early 2000's and 90's acts in the indie rock realm while their humor and cheeky takes on feminism and gender are quite witty for critics to love. With previous titles like Fuck Chastity Belt, and No Regerts, Chastity Belt have a pretty great and self aware sense of humor and silliness. They continue to do this on Live Laugh Love, their fifth studio album and first via Suicide Squeeze. As they continue to release more and more albums, the band seems to get cozier within their style and sound while also sounding more and more polished. The early records are quite punchy and a little rough with some scuffs that added to the band's overall personality. Their recent recordings, especially on their enjoyably solidifying self-titled fourth album, they became much moodier, mellower in sound while also providing some of their prettiest sounding material yet.
This is even more the case with Live Laugh Love. The production is very stylish, pretty instrumentation that act as odes to the past with 80's/90's/2000's genres of punk, indie rock, folk, and emo music seeping into the music. The singing is even better too. This is apparently the first album where all four members are singing and I can totally get that, since this is in my opinion the band's most harmonious album. The songs themselves are sticky too with stacked hooks, harmonies, and memorable guitar playing. Even from the initial seconds on "Hollow," you instantly get the sharp singing, guitars, and songwriting that typically comes from Chastity Belt. "I-90 Bridge" is another highlight that might have some of the best guitar passages I've heard on a Chastity Belt single. It's my favorite on the album for sure. The intricate playing towards the back end is excellent, while the lyrical storytelling really paints a beautifully vivid picture a la past highlights like the excellent fan favorite "Ann's Jam." "Funny" has quite the explosive chorus that's super infectious and dreamy. There's also some great acoustic instrumentation that really compliments the vocals and electric guitars like on "Clumsy." Other highlights include the new wavy "Kool-Aid," the nervy "Chemtrails," the pretty "Laugh," and the memorable closer "Like That."
Live Laugh Love has all the right things for those looking for another Chastity Belt album: memorable songwriting, hooky guitars, pretty harmonies, a moody and dreamy atmosphere. That's definitely what it has going for it and it's quite an enjoyable listen. I also recommend listening to this in full on a nice long distance drive, perfect for daydreaming or contemplating (of course all while focusing on the road at all times). At eleven songs and a little over forty minutes in runtime, it's the perfect length you'd want for this type of music. The production is sharp and pretty but not too pretty to wear the band's qualities and personality start to fade from its polish. The only real thing I can mark down Live Laugh Love is that it's a very seamless listen, to the point where the overall sound can be a little samey and repetitive. Which is funny I say that because it's honestly not a bad thing by any means. It would've been nice to hear some more detours in style to mix up the track listing a bit, maybe also adding a couple more punchy moments too a la "Seattle Party." It's also a bit sleepy, so if you want something a little more caffeinated I'd suggest a different album. The relaxed, dreamy approach is quite the satisfying progression from their previous self-titled album and even though I really enjoy some of their more upbeat moments, this current style suits them really well. Live Laugh Love is yet another solid album from Chastity Belt and by the sound of it they definitely have no means of dropping in quality or personality.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "I-90 Bridge," "Hollow," "Funny," "Laugh," "Like That"
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