Bella - No One Will Know

The word ‘indie’ certainly doesn’t mean anything anymore (has it ever?), but as such, it is suitable for Bella. The second album from the Canadian-American trio is fascinating by its capability not to hurt anyone, by its easily forgettable and harmless soft pop.

The beginning of the album is promising, however, with a West Coast sound reminiscent of The Dandy Warhols, and a dreamy synth that provides the perfect background for Tiffany Garrett Sotomayor’s limpid vocals. It is efficient and pleasant, but then, having found their rhythm and their tone, they stick to it until the end of their record, for a dozen tracks that are all equally nice and equally insignificant.

Being smooth should be their strength, but it happens to be their main handicap. Their softness sometimes recalls Belle and Sebastian, a softness, then, that is not exactly honest, or at least, a witty softness; but they don’t have the same inventiveness, and, well, nothing happens, it goes on and on with lullaby refrains weaved on keyboards.

This lack of inventiveness is particularly striking when considering the album as a whole, since each track seems to be the continuity of the one before. The same melody is used in ‘No One Will Know’ and ‘Didn’t Mean To Break Our Love’, but it is not made to bring some coherence (there is enough coherence, since they keep the same sound from track one to track twelve) or echo effects, it rather sounds like a mere accident, quite telling about their musical discourse.

Some tracks are nevertheless salient, especially when Cameron Fraser takes up leads vocals, on ‘Ocean Or A Lakeshore’; his more virile voice brings the slightly deeper and stronger something that was lacking. Also, ‘Go’, sharp and refined, is closer, it seems, to achieve the band’s ambitions.

Too repetitive, ‘No One Will Know’ could still make good club music, with its pop songs that, at least, are good at beating time.