Chastity Belt - Live Laugh Love

The effortlessly cool Chastity Belt return with another gorgeous album. 'Live Laugh Love' is easygoing and understated, yet rich in substance. True to the group's paired back style, listeners get to truly appreciate every vocal and every chord. Their modest production style is a welcome change of pace from the usual formulas that saturate the scene.

If 'Live Laugh Love' is your first time getting to know Chastity Belt, you've got a lot to catch up on. This is not their first rodeo; having made music together for over a decade, their experience can be heard through each track, as each vocal and instrument moves together in complete harmony. Speaking in their own language, 'Live Laugh Love' feels like a natural extension of the group's sound and a continuation of their shared journey.

Chastity Belt run a slick operation, telling it how it is with lyrics that never fail to have a sharp touch of humour. Slow, languishing indie tones paired with quick, ironic and naturalistic lyricism root each track in our world and language. 'Blue' sees drawling vocals sing about the need to get off the internet, while in 'Clumsy', they assert, "I don't want to be a bitch, but I think you need to grow up". It's unpretentious, direct and relatable.

So once again, Chastity Belt deliver a beautiful album to indulge in. Their mastery of the balance between soft, indie dreaminess and brash lyricism feels less like a stylistic choice and more a lifestyle each band member embodies. The thick, comforting vocals of Julia Shapiro drape over delicate riffs; it feels impossible to listen to their music without drifting off into a state of total bliss.