Album Review

Belle Histoire – Dreamers

• 10th Sep 2012

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Belle Histoire deliver eleven tracks on their debut EP which fall somewhere between conventional indie and easy listening; a combination which may not sound attractive on paper, but which certainly delivers a level of beauty and elegance which is often lacking in contemporary sounds. Driven by a subtle combination of piano and guitar, and guided throughout by the delicate vocals of Jane Smith – a thoroughly exciting prospect at only eighteen years old at the time of recording – there are moments of neigh-perfection in some of the ballads on ‘Dreamers’. Regrettably at times, the record is dampened by less-than-perfect up-tempo numbers.

As the album wavers from low to mid-tempo between songs, it does not take long to establish that the record is unlikely to break through the sound barrier. Predictably, the entire forty minutes follow the pattern laid out in the opening three tracks. ‘Don’t Run Away’ and ‘Everyday’ prove to be the most upbeat songs, pushing Smith’s vocals and the accompanying musicians into rockier territory including (and apologies in advance for this comparison) moments which verge on the softer side of Paramore; particularly in the opener.

Not until ‘Without You’ do Belle Histoire stamp their individual mark onto the sound, easing the power and pushing sophistication to the forefront. Highlights on the record continue in a similar vein: The haunting lyrics and minimalistic piano sections in ‘See You Again’ or the vocal showcase of ‘Do You Love Me’, yet unfortunately the band fall frustratingly flat when the tempo is raised, stumbling into conventional soft-rock territory that does little to enrich the sound. ‘Kids’ and ‘My Dear’ would be better suited on an orthodox country album, rather than spaced between engrossing melodies.

Belle Histoire face an uphill struggle on ‘Dreamers’. Their best work lies within the haunting melodies in the down-tempo tracks, yet an album based entirely on ballads is likely to prove a difficult listen. In order to counteract this, the band have littered the LP with substandard upbeat compositions which echo the formula of their peers. In order to adequately compliment the haunting beauty of large proportions of the album, Belle Histoire need to filter their individuality into the record as a whole. As it stands, ‘Dreamers’ is an intensely captivating experience demonstrating subtlety and charm at its finest, while simultaniously stumbling over convention and tradition as the tempo is raised; undoubtedly a tale of two halves.