Though singer/songwriters have existed for some time, it is only recently that the term "singer/songwriter" has come into fashion as a specific genre of music. Detailing a sort of folk−alternative fusion, modern singer/songwriters often produce some of the most innovative and refreshing melodies out there. Championing the singer/songwriter name is Andrew Belle, an up−and−coming artist out of Nashville who, through his unique, echoing vocals and sincere lyrics, exemplifies why this genre is one worth listening to.
Hailing from the Chicago area, Andrew Belle started his career as a solo artist in 2008. It wasn't until two years later that he finally released his first album, "The Ladder" (2010), but when he did, Belle finally began to gain some well−deserved attention. Filled with eloquently composed songs and fluid, meaningful lyrics, Belle's debut album proved that he is inspirational, soothing and genuinely talented. In one word, he is memorable.
Within a year, Belle had joined up with the collective singer/songwriter group known as Ten out of Tenn, and since then he has been touring the country, both individually and with his fellow performers.
For loyal fans of Belle's work, it has been quite some time since he put out new music, but this past week he finally released an extended play (EP), titled "The Daylight EP." Despite having only three original tracks, "The Daylight EP" appeases in every way, bringing more of Belle's familiar style to yearning listeners.
The first track off Belle's new EP is the title track, "The Daylight." Though stereotypical in its lyrics, which feature a narrator lamenting the loss of his true love, the song is anything but trite. Laced with Belle's wonderful "Oohing," a talent that makes almost no sense on paper, and a truly perfect rhythm, the song draws in listeners with its simple guitar and piano, allowing them to embrace the articulacy of his lyrics, "But blessed was the daylight that/ Flooded my heart's windows, and/ Cleared the smoke that billows out." Accompanied by Belle's deep, husky and poignant vocals, this song alone justifies the near two−year wait for new music.
While "The Daylight" starts things off well, the EP's highlight is "Sky's Still Blue." Belle originally wrote the song for a Windows 7 promotion ad, so it is not an entirely new tune. But at the same time, it almost is, as the version Belle wrote for Microsoft differs from the one on his new EP, with the latter having much more solemn lyrics and a stronger instrumental backing. The newer version may just be his best song yet, possessing the classic "Oohing" and a brilliant instrumental composition that never lets up in intensity.
With the lines "I made the incision, I begged and I borrowed/ I traded my vision, for heartache and sorrow/ But now that I've found my sight/ I finally realize, I was born to go blind," the listener sees hold bold Belle really is, admitting his faults and accepting them while managing to make it all sound utterly eloquent.
The EP's final track, "All Those Pretty Lights (Alternate Universe Version)," serves as proof that Andrew Belle is an innovative, talented and genuinely brave singer/songwriter. This song, much like "Sky's Still Blue," is not in fact wholly original, as it is an alternate version of "All Those Pretty Lights," the titular track off his first EP. He took a sincere risk in attempting to improve on the song, considering how good it was in its original form, but he somehow manages to pull it off. Incorporating a more electronic, upbeat vibe to the tune, Belle takes what was potent from the original track and adds on a number of clever little details that only add to the quality.
Andrew Belle might not be well known, but what he lacks in notoriety is made up for in pure skill. Effortlessly making most singer/songwriters look generic, Belle presents three outright quality songs on "The Daylight EP," and if these new songs are any indication of the album to come, fans new and old are sure to be delighted.
