Belle Histoire

I Can Tell EP

Written by: TL on 20/06/2012 16:52:48

Belle Histoire is the name of a new indie/pop/rock quartet from Cincinatti, Ohio who are starting to gain some traction at the moment, and while they have their debut LP "Dreamers" coming out next month on the 17th, I've been passing some time checking out their EP "I Can Tell" which was released back in February. The EP offers four tracks of the band's stylish, catchy music, and shows off their capabilities in different moods, as well as the fine singing voice of singer Jane Smith.

Indeed it's easy to get caught up by Smith's delicate vocal work, with her reminding me of The Narrative's Suzie Zeldin - or perhaps Kate Nash except without the British accent of course. Behind her, the band provides a calm but emotive soundscape that will likely make you think of a band like Young The Giant. Together they've come up with the four songs of which I personally prefer "Misguided" and "Stay A While", although the remaining songs "Sailing Ships" and "Be Alright" aren't bad at all. "Stay A While" is upbeat and bright and likely the catchiest song on offer, but for me at least, "Misguided" has a slight edge because of the way it's more regretful mood allows Smith to give a more haunting, emotive performance that cuts deeper than any of the other songs.

Meanwhile, "Be Alright" is quite similar in mood to "Stay A While", while "Sailing Ships" stands out with one of the guys in the band (not sure who) coming in with some male vocals that sound a bit like Coldplay's Chris Martin. All songs and observations put together, it's really hard to find something to complain about on "I Can Tell EP". Belle Histoire may not reinvent the wheel in any way, but they have a fairly well-developed and recognisable sound, and like I said, they show that despite their lightness, they can still make good impact both when they're being cheerful and when they're being moody. So if you're in the market for some indie music that's poppy in a way that does not inherently mean that it's targeted to 12 year olds, then I recommend joining me, both in listening to "I Can Tell EP" and in waiting for the album "Dreamer" to come out.

Download: Misguided, Stay A While,
For The Fans Of: The Narrative, maybe Young The Giant if they had American Kate Nash for a singer
Listen: facebook.com/bellehistoiremusic

Release Date 14.02.2012
InVogue Records

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