The last several days, a number of music blogs were abuzz with the song “Time To Go Home,” the title song to the new album by the Chastity Belt which came out on March 24th on Hardly Art records.
Featuring guitarists Julia Shapiro (the singer and primary songwriter) and Lydia Lund, bassist Annie Truscott, and drummer Gretchen Grimm, the band are from the Seattle area, Walla Walla, Washington. They released their debut album, “No Regrets”, which got favourable reviews when it was self-released in 2013, Then following two EPs they released in 2012 (available on their Bandcamp page). About their new album, The music is an indie-rock swirl of guitars and careening drums that recalls the team efforts of classic bands like the Raincoats.
title song “Time To Go.” It’s a heartfelt, straight forward rock and roll song, touched by punk, fuzzy guitars, and reverbed vocals that just hits all the right chords.
On the surface, Seattle punk band Chastity Belt is just plain silly. Its members wear mom jeans and turtle necks in its press shots, for crying out loud. But there’s more than just frivolous nostalgia at play on the group’s Hardly Art debut, Time to Go Home.
The song that rightfully gets the most attention is “Cool Slut,” as guitarist and vocalist Julia Schapiro trashes tired rock tropes that cast sexual conquests as a measure of manhood and point of shame for women. Satire gives way to solemnity on other standout tracks, as “IDC” (“I got drunk out of boredom/I did not want to be there”) and the title-track sum up the end of the night, when regret sets in and there’s a chance you’ll be holding back a puking friend’s hair.
While the lyrics are strong, the music itself will hook in repeat listeners. “Lydia” is wistful enough to have been from a popular indie songstresses’ songbook, while “The Thing” is lightning-fast West Coast punk that begins and ends with a blood-curdling scream. Sure, other well-written, feminist friendly albums have been released in 2015, but those artists are not likely as clever, fun, and free as these girls.
The Fat Angel Sings 