Anytime a band appears on the scene and almost simultaneously announces a major label debut, it’s fair that the music-loving public approaches with skepticism. Wild Belle is one such band. The group, whose core members are brother and sister Natalie and Elliot Bergman, formed in 2011 and less than a year later announced the release of their debut Isles on Columbia Records. Our reticence can be assuaged now that Wild Belle has dropped their debut, which proves to be a decent first effort, especially for a young band.
In reality, when you get a young band making waves like this, you just can’t ever predict whether their raw talent has immediately captured the attention of major labels or someone has just decided to sink a ton of money into a project. The answer is probably a little bit of both here, which is really more than you could ask for. While it’s true that Wild Belle’s Isles likely succeeds in part due to excellent production and an exhaustive marketing campaign, the band also carries their own weight for much of their debut. It helps that we caught the band live opening for Toro Y Moi last month, and they were solid in that setting as well.
Wild Belle’s primary modus operandi revolves around their usage of beat-centered reggae styles, which they employ to great effect throughout Isles. “Keep You” announces the record impressively, and I can’t ignore how similar it feels to Althea and Donna’s “Uptown Top Ranking”—a 70s reggae gem that also features female vocals. Wild Belle’s reggae doesn’t feel played—their blending of modern pop and rock keep it fresh. The song is infectious, and the band has intelligently placed the track at the forefront of the album, leading with their strengths. “It’s Too Late” follows a similar approach, but streamlines some of the excellent organ-fueled haze that hangs over “Keep You.” Elliot Bergman gets to show off his sax skills here, which are a nice addition.
Generally, Wild Belle sounds the best when they’re working in this neo-reggae framework that carries singles “Backslider” and “Keep You” as well as almost half a dozen more. Beyond that, the Bergmans possess the ability to deliver fun pop, but tracks like “Shine” and “Happy Home” just don’t pack the punch of the others and feel a little lost. Brother Elliot Bergsman’s singing effort on “When It’s Over” is easily the album’s most curious and least cohesive track in the collection. However, those songs are in the minority. In fact, closer “Take Me Away” eschews the reggae structure and is one of the more successful songs on the record to do so.
Wild Belle has had tremendous opportunities in the past few months—first, opening for Toro Y Moi on a mostly sold out tour and now, their SXSW dates include shows with several significant bands. The response so far has been positive, and this duo has proven they aren’t just hype on this debut effort. Time will tell if they can continue to develop and mature while remaining in the spotlight.
