Our Lady Of Bells

by John Vettese

	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Sep 28, 2006

It's easy to identify which folk-rock bands operate out of New England. They're the ones whose names you can't quite place (you probably saw them at a festival somewhere) but who still manage to draw dedicated crowds whenever they play. And, man, do they love to play (tour itineraries often include venues like "Jill's House," "TBA" and "help us out!") Coming from a region with tiny states and short town-to-town commutes, they're easily influenced by a quick cross-pollination of sounds and ideas, creating music that's an amalgamation of their peers yet a style all their own. Erudite Northampton, Mass., quartet Our Lady of Bells is very much a product of this environment — and not just because they mix chamber strings with singer-songwriter guitars. Their debut, this spring's Forgetting the Way Home, is by turns minimally meditative, like Ida, or lush and vibrant, like their cross-town neighbors Winterpills. But the standout point here is Jules Gimbrone's tentative, lilting alto; she can swap timid vocals with bandmate Geoff Rice, or carry a crescendo all her own. The widely blogged "Adeline" starts out simply with a chiming piano and Gimbrone's voice, a confidante for a character withdrawn into gender dysphoria (or perhaps just general dysphoria). Her consoling swells with the instrumentation and after four minutes and change, your speakers are wholly erupting with the sounds of marching drums, harmonium, mandolin and a K Records-style populist sing-along. That's the other thing about New England folk bands: Coming from a small starting point, they like to think big.

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking Post Comment, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Name	please enter your name
Email (will not be published)	please enter a valid email
Comment	please enter a comment
Enter the security code on the right in the textbox below.
Security Code	please enter the code
	Join the City Paper Mailing List

Aid or Invade
Be Your Own Pet
Just for Smite
One Track Mind
Post Post-Punk
soundadvice
The House That Trane Built