Realistic IV by Belong (kranky)

Belong
Realistic IX
kranky

Realistic IX brings Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones back into the forefront in an over 10 years hiatus. But that time lapse did not affect their creativity whatsoever. The third long player and second for the prestigious kranky label gives us layered aural dimensions that is equally weird as it is wonderful.

I ran through this album on loop three times before I realized what I was doing. It’s not that I forgot I was listening; I was very aware of each song. It’s just that Realistic IX gives so much to the soul, its palette is so interesting that it rewards multiple listens. Each perception is something different every time.

What starts off as acid-washed and vintage FM radio in style, “Realistic (I’m Still Waiting) takes blurred shoegaze and shoots it off into the cosmos. The group’s power chords make static danceable and the launching point into spacial reality. Then with “Difficult Boy,” they take it up a notch and give your head even more of a spin. Barely understandable vocals punctuate the swirl at perfect intervals.

But then the two abandon the launch and focus on the music. “Image of Love” is the soundtrack to your mind exploding in slow motion. Krautrock influenced, My Bloody Valentine infused, and Belong’s distinct canvas make you feel every atom in your body. What’s even better is that the follow-up, “Bleach” tears it all down through a disintegrated effect. As Belong begins to take us to the end of the universe, those atoms turn into blister pop and explode all over the cosmos.

Realistic IX is the psychedelic dream-pop album we needed. What feels like forever was worth it.