words

im george belaires. these are my words. im weird. i have too many pairs of shoes. i act real dumb. i have too big of muscles to be accepted by indie kids. George Belaires is many things: one of the countless sons of Zeus, ex- prestigious co-writer and guitarist of Kaeyo, distinguished alumnus of In Confidence, and indomitable fashionista. In his most recent musical endeavor, Words, he has taken on acoustic, indie, electronic and post-rock all at once, wrangling them like an ambient cowboy. T...

im george belaires. these are my words. im weird. i have too many pairs of shoes. i act real dumb. i have too big of muscles to be accepted by indie kids. George Belaires is many things: one of the countless sons of Zeus, ex- prestigious co-writer and guitarist of Kaeyo, distinguished alumnus of In Confidence, and indomitable fashionista. In his most recent musical endeavor, Words, he has taken on acoustic, indie, electronic and post-rock all at once, wrangling them like an ambient cowboy. The resulting sound is both progressive and eclectic, organic and experimental, shoegazing and toe-tapping; like sleeping pills cut with 808s, like a dance party in a library. Cut from the same sonic cloth as oculoss and Broken Spindles, with his unique, defined and refreshing approach to songwriting, Belaires soothes listeners while at the same time challenging them to expect more from a musical artist. And, thanks to his multi-faceted blend of disparate genres, you never know what to expect from Belaires himself. “Scars & Tattoos” has more layers than royal wedding cake but remains careful and understated, while “Within Her” takes heavier cues from post-rock, starting quiet and contemplative, solemnly brooding before crescendoing with thick wave of tremolo washing over lilting atmosphere like white-capped tides over sand.But underneath Belaires’ instrumental artistry, his chilling guitar melodies and spacey synth lines, lies an acute attention to lyricism sorely missed in much of music today. His lyrics are distinct, but unadorned, simple and sincere. Like discovering the hidden depths of a character in your favorite film or novel, through his poetry, you’ll soon feel as though you’ve known Belaires your whole life. Lines like, "It’s my faults that define me: materialistic, so narcissistic, and egotistic; it’s these characteristics that make me so different; it’s these characteristics that make this music and these lyrics so rhythmic," and, “Every day I’m getting older. I feel it in my back, and in both of my shoulders. Some days, in my knees. I feel like I’m 82, but I’m not even 23,” beg to be sung, pulsing with a cheeky, self-aware sort of honesty.At their core, Belaires’ music and lyrics have a ton of heart and a lot of potential. You may never know exactly what to expect from him next, but you can be sure that there will be progression and creativity, a little love, and a lot of soul.-Zach Roth, decoy music I tried sleeping to Words the other day and had a dream about drowning with an erection- Drew Hansen