Structurally Sound, by Smoke Bellow

Structurally Sound

by Smoke Bellow

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Reverse board jacket, poly-lined inner sleeve

Includes unlimited streaming of Structurally Sound via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.	Marm & Toast 03:18	buy track
2.	Pep Pep 03:25	buy track
3.	Friendly Fire 04:04	buy track
4.	Zeppa Rafaela 03:08	buy track
5.	Vaso 04:22	buy track
6.	Noonian Soong 04:04	buy track
7.	Fall Fall 03:04	buy track
8.	Proximal Assembly 02:52	buy track
9.	Homecoming 04:18	buy track

about

"Structurally Sound" is the fourth and final release by Baltimore/Australian band Smoke Bellow. Written over 2022 and 2023 at home in Baltimore, this record was born of the collaboration between founding members Christian Best and Meredith McHugh. "Structurally Sound" saw the duo partner with Baltimore percussionist Jen Kirby (Strange Times People Band) who had joined the band on many tours to promote 2021's "Open for Business" (Trouble in Mind).

"Structurally Sound" is the self-assured melding of post-punk, disco and modern minimalist composition, with lyrical themes spanning desire, personal anguish as well as the celebration of community and resilience. It represents something entirely new, however, distinct sonic lines can be traced to previous iterations of the band. Sonically, influences range from modern minimalist composers such as Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Steve Reich, to the elemental bass/drum/guitar conversation of ESG, The Raincoats, Pylon, Au Pairs and Essential Logic. At its core "Structurally Sound" is a celebration of the buoyancy found in the bonds of community. It is a fitting closing chapter to the band's omnipresent exploration of rhythm and repetition, at once serious and playful. This release sees an increased focus on arrangement as a key conveyor of musical ideas and a sonic palette expanded by their collaborators’ horns, strings, percussion and prose.

credits

released October 11, 2024

Meredith McHugh - Guitars, synthesizers, percussion, bass, vocals, arrangement
Christian Best - Guitars, synthesizers, saxophone, bass, slide whistle, vocals, arrangement
Jen Kirby - Drums, percussion, vocals, arrangement

Jeff Tobias - Saxophones on "Vaso" middle and "Proximal Assembly"
Jessica Keyes - Saxophone on "Homecoming"
Olivia Tucker - Cello on on "Zeppa Rafaela" and "Homecoming"
Stephen Santillan - Marimba/Vibraphone on 'Marm and Toast"
Mark Wadley - Prose for "Friendly Fire"
Jim McHugh - Guitar on "Vaso" middle

Recorded and mixed by Smoke Bellow and Chris Freeland at Beat Babies and Wright Way Studios, Baltimore, MD

Photograph by Victoria Hannan
Design by Steve Rosborough
Mastered by Collin Gorman Weiland

Guitar consultant: Marc Miller
Synth consultant: Albert Schatz

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Smoke Bellow Baltimore, Maryland

Smoke Bellow was an exercise in pastiche, catharsis, fun and positivity.

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