Austin, Texas can almost be considered the center of the indie music scene and is home of the largest annual independent music festival in the nation: South By Southwest (SXSW). With my pending transition from student to post-graduate employee, I have often thought of relocating to the obscure-for-Texas town. Belaire‘s hometown is Austin and it is no wonder, then, that their music is optimistic, has a carefree bounce, and is catchy and lovable and creative. The CD-R itself is in an artsy home-decorated jewel case with a Jackson Pollock-style drip and splatter paint job.

Currently the group is in the midst of a “break” to record their first full length on label to-be-determined. Their creative pop has a to-die-for sound as Cari and Christa Palazzolo (sisters, twins, cousins?) compliment each other nicely on vocals and synth while Jason Chronis (Voxtrot) adds the perfect male vocal counterpart to most tracks.

One of my earliest indie loves was a Kansas group called The Anniversary. I loved the sounds they created with their signature moog, their guitar riffs and memorable lyrics. In a song like “Back Into The Wall”, it appears Belaire may have taken over where my precious and now defunct Anniversary left off. Though this is not entirely the case (Belaire is influenced more by pop while The Anniversary more by rock) I still fall instantly in love with groups that boast heavy synth usage.

“Ces Mots” is in French and has one of the most catchy synth parts around with supporting da da lyrics. The superbly crafted song is a natural single and has a light-hearted and artsy video directed by Cari. “Hit and Miss” is a slower track on a dreamy, near psychedelic landscape. The ballad includes another Anniversary-style hip-swinging synth and a punchy guitar, while the drums pick up throughout the song for a fun climax near the end. “Da Da Da” could be the Belaire theme as they are common lyrics throughout the EP and can be found in nearly every track.

The music Belaire has released upon the world is full of life and innocent (though lacking naivety) and not worn down by the hardships of life. Music is the ever-comforting center of my universe, keeping me sane and balanced, and it is groups like Belaire that make this possible.

This review was originally published August 1, 2006 on the old version of FensePost. Above photo by Wylie Maercklein. UPDATE: Belaire has since released Exploding, Impacting, their debut LP, and is now working on a follow up to that album, tentatively scheduled for a mid-2009 release.

Belaire: Back Into The Wall [mp3]

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[CDEP, 2005]

1. Ces Mots
2. Hit And Miss
3. Back Into The Wall
4. Da Da Da