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Rating: The Belly was formed by Tanya Donelly, already guitarist of the Throwing Muses and the Breeders, in Boston (USA) in 1992. They released their first album with Sire/Reprise in 1993. The not-so-refined sounds and the essential arrangements make Star a pleasant mainstream album, which however does not feature a defined stylistic paradigm that distinguishes the Belly from other groups. Donnelly proves to possess a composed songwriting ability, never over-the-top, ranging from pop rock to blues up to the acoustic ballad.
The first two tracks are fantastic. Someone To Die For is a very sweet acoustic lullaby. Angel is an enchanting dream pop piece... In the chorus, you seem to hear the sighs of Kim Gordon. Dusted, a track that relies on an overused hard rock riff, is pleasant to listen to even though it doesn't shine with originality. The quirky, dreamy pop of Every World is played with a handful of simple and effective power chords. Gepetto could have been the single instead of Feed The Tree. Witch is a wonderful minimalist guitar sketch accompanied by a gentle and melancholic vocal line. Slow Dog is a conventional rock track that turns country in the chorus... Very catchy. Low Red Moon is a dissonant blues ballad and is one of the best episodes of the album. Full Moon, Empty Heart is yet another blues, this time more conventional. It continues with White Belly, which although nothing exceptional, imprints its melody in the listener's mind. The instrumental track Star precedes Untogether, a decent acoustic ballad, heard and reheard. Sad Dress is the most peculiar track of the album, but despite this, it doesn't seem to have much new to say. The curtain falls with yet another ballad, titled Stay.
Star is undoubtedly not a bad album, catchy and well-played, also containing some gems (Someone To Die For, Angel, Witch, Low Red Moon). The risk of it becoming tiresome after a certain number of listens is there because perhaps it's a bit too long, and in the final tracks, it seems to drag on wearily... Still, it's a risk worth taking, don't you think?!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 White Belly (03:27)
That was some hurricane
Rode in on the back of a heart attack
Made a mistake...on a fire escape
In San Fransisco
Worked my way back...in a hallway
In LA
Put on your black dress
Float on your back
Too Long, Too Late
Now I'm gone
Somewhere to sleep
Somewhere to sleep
Somewhere to scrape your body off my feet
Put on your black dress
Float on your back
Too Long, Too late
Now I'm gone
White bellied up in the sun
...bellied up in the sun
Still diving...for the big one
Put on your black dress
Float on your back
Put on your black dress
(white bellied up in the sun)
Float on your back
(bellied up in the sun)
Too long, too late
Now I'm gone
White Bellied up in the sun
.....bellied up in the sun
White Bellied up in the sun
...bellied up in the sun
03 Feed the Tree (02:22)
This old man I've talked about
Broke his own heart
Poured it in the ground
Big red tree grew up and out
Throws up its leaves
And spins round and round
I know all this and more
So take your hat off
When you're talkin' to me
And be there when
I feed the tree
This little squirrel I used to be
Slammed her bike down the stairs
They put silver where her teeth had been
Baby silver tooth, she grins and wins
I know all this and more
So take your hat off
When you're talkin' to me
And be there when
I feed the tree
This old man I used to be
Spins around, around
Around the tree
Silver baby, come to me
I'll only hurt you
In my dreams
I know all this and more
So take your hat off boy
When you're talkin' to me
And be there when
I feed the tree
06 Every Word (02:49)
so you go, to leave, more room for me.
oh, oh, oh, you gave me too much room.
so i filled it up with chairs
you can't sit on.
but if you want to stand there, stand there
oh, oh, oh you told me too much,
you thought i would hear.
i heard every word.
i heard every word.
i heard every word.
so you go, and it all goes darker.
like these chairs, these eyes, this room closes windows.
these chairs, these eyes, this room, this heart.
i heard every word.
i heard every word.
i heard every word.
08 Slow Dog (03:30)
leave him by the road
cause the dog won't run it
picking through spit out leaves the dog won't even touch
meant to shoot that dog long ago
just can't leave that dog alone
maria, carry a rifle
maria, carry a dog on her back
that dog is hit again
that slow dog is hit again
with his see-through skin
the kind of skin you can see through
he's shot again
he's shot again
heal me by a river
man retires his wife, says:
but she was so sad and sick
his heart breaks in the mud
thought i'd leave this world by twenty-one
couldn't leave that dog alone
maria, carry a rifle
maria, carry a dog on her back
that dog is hit again
that slow dog is hit again
with his see-through skin
he's shot again
he's shot again
he's shot again
09 Star (02:21)
It's hard for a star
Sweet, sweet, sweet wind
Burn off this skin
Get it to reach Sachuest beach
I can never win
With this body I live in
10 Dusted (02:13)
Baby's playing dead in cellar
Gave her water just got paler
Grass stains back burns
She's a screamer
She's just dusted, leave her
If you see her, don't upset her
Never seems to get much better
Grass stains back burns
She's a screamer
She's just dusted, leave her
Her hmm, hmm, goes to your heart
Her hmm, hmm sticks in your head
Her hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmm
Baby's playing dead in cellar
Gave her water
Just got paler
Grass stains, back burns
She's a screamer
She's just dusted, leave her
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