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Belly
Belly was formed in late '91 after Tanya received a phone call from brothers, Tom and Chris Gorman, two childhood friends from her hometown of Newport, R.I.. Both had made a name for themselves in various local bands and were eager to subscribe to her strong musical vision. The trio immediately began rehearsing and playing a series of shows around New England and the Northeast. The following spring they were in the studio with bass player, Fred Abong, recording tracks with co-producer, Tracy Chisholm, in Nashville and producer Gil Norton in London. The resulting album features fifteen tunes from those sessions and it's obvious that Tanya held the reins from the beginning. "Someone To Die For," the opening cut, asks four questions: "poor thing, poor thing, do you have a sister? would you lay your body down on the tracks for her? step one tiptoe in hell for her? don't you have someone you'd die for?" Lyrically simple? Perhaps. But don't let that fool you. The mood induced by this piece is far from simple. An"orchestra of guitars," that grows from a single 12-string guitar demands your attention and her breathless vocals draw you in for keeps. After that, you're in the palm of her hand and she's got you where she wants you. "Angel," follows with a progressive intensity that spills into"Dusted," which sets the stage for the underlying grunge of "Every Word." The gears are shifted a couple times during the next four tunes. "Gepetto," and "Slow Dog," lighten things up a bit while"Witch," and "Low Red Moon," lean towards the surrealism that penetrates most of the album. The first single and video "Feed The Tree," is an airy pop gem with a jubilant chorus, jangling guitars and a buoyant, infectious melody. (If anyone is paying attention it will be all over the radio this summer along with a good chunk of the rest of the cuts.) After this joyous romp she swings back to the other extreme.
The six remaining songs recall the kind of dreams you can't awaken
from. Those vivid, eerie, wisps that leave a distinct impression
on the conscious and unconscious mind. Tanya is one of those
artists who creates music from the impassioned depths of the
inner self without alienating those who choose to absorb what
has been created. She writes songs embraced in a captivating
singular guitar style that are, as she puts it,"...sort
of twisted fairy tales, with inspiration drawn from dreams."
The thoughts and feelings conjured up by this one are kind of
spooky in a warm sort of way and they'll stick with you long
after the last note fades away. (SC) © 2000 Dr. Rock'n'Roll
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