𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗱'𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝘁 - this week: Zen - Belcarra

This week, Brad (aka Mercury Teardrop) takes over 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿!

𝙕𝙚𝙣 - 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖

If you are the same vintage as me, you will likely remember back to those days in your late teens when your parents or caregivers departed for a holiday and you found yourself with the house or pad to yourself. For me, these circumstances always resulted in 24/7 music cranked, loud guitars, lots of jamming, and parties. Fabulous parties! There was no internet yet and gatherings always organically manifested through word of mouth via networks of friends and like-minded acquaintances, often connected by a love of music. In some strange way, with Mr. Charles Connolly on holiday this week, I feel a bit like I have the “place” to myself and… it’s time to party!

Thinking back, these were wonderful times and the music between 1988 and 1992 was both groundbreaking and truly mesmerising all at the same time. There were fresh sounds emanating from global movements like ‘Madchester’ Brit-Pop and the petri dish of the Seattle underground. I took it all in and nothing was off limits when spinning tracks at a gathering. I recall a few parties where I got to play singles or albums that had just been released, and I got to experience the collective sense of euphoria when everyone present knew they were grooving to something that would make history (or at least that is how it felt at times); Fools Gold by the Stone Roses, Hallelujah by the Mondays, and the list goes on. I was a frequent flyer at “Odyssey Imports”, Vancouver, B.C.’s main supplier of new British, German and International underground records. The Friday releases usually resulted in a few new purchases weekly, as well as a few skipped classes to get there first thing in the morning. Over that four year span, Acid House, Brit Pop, Shoegaze and Grunge completely dominated my walkman and my turntable. I truly love all of it and my nostalgic passion for these genres has never wavered. Although much of the music and bands from this era have endured, albeit some definitely more than others, I have never stopped loving bands like Ride, Catherine Wheel, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Curve, and many more. Hello, my name is Brad, and I am a SHOEGAZER.

Fast-forward to last month when I was cranking some tunes in the car off of a playlist and literally had to pull over to look at my phone and see what was playing… it was familiar and new all at the same time, but I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. I had seen the band name, Belcarra within the NAS community before, but hadn’t really listened. I paused, put the song back to the beginning, and sat there just listening; completely focused on every note and subtle texture within the track. It was all of the feels I knew so well from my 90’s shoegaze / dreamgaze heroes and more. It was ZEN.

The track opens with an ethereal tension that leads to an explosion of cavernous, shimmering guitar bliss. The rhythm section is spot on and carries a moving, melodic backbone, allowing the vocal melody to shine. The cosmic harmonics float within a spacious backdrop reminiscent of so many of the early shoegaze pioneers like Slowdive and Ride. This track has everything. It is so sonically great, it gets better with every listen. Once you are into the track, the band warps into almost growling death-metal harmonies reminiscent of Mikael Åkerfeldt; SUBLIME and utterly COOL! The crescendo of the track is a swarm of guitars that fades and then the drums and vocals bring you back and land you like an interstellar craft from another world. I love the escape of this song and the incredibly modern, yet nostalgic universe Belcarra has created. This five-piece from the U.K. is destined for something massive. I can feel it… it’s like that moment when “we” all knew the track we were spinning at the house party was going to be something special. It blew my mind and I hope it does the same for you. My name is Brad and I’m a Shoegazer… and a Belcarra FAN!

Oh, and thanks to Mr. Connolly for letting me ‘house-sit’ while he is off on vacation… Charles, I did my best to clean up the flat to your impeccable standards.

Listen to 𝙕𝙚𝙣 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙕𝙚𝙣 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Follow 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 (Brad) on Instagram HERE!

Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below

#review #song #songreview #MercuryTeardrop #Belcarra #Zen #CharlesConnolly #newrelease #shoegaze #dreamgaze #iWantMyNAS #StopPayola