Just Because (The Belle Brigade album)
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| Just Because | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 25, 2014 | |||
| Length | 35:44 | |||
| Label | ATO | |||
| The Belle Brigade chronology | ||||
| ||||
Just Because is the second full-length album by American band The Belle Brigade, whose members are siblings Barbara and Ethan Gruska. It was recorded with engineer and co-producer Shawn Everett and mastered by Bob Ludwig. The album was released on March 25, 2014.[1]
The Belle Brigade's first album had received wide critical praise, but on their second album, the Gruskas wanted to pursue a less slickly produced and more individual sound. Their record company, Reprise Records, expressed dissatisfaction with the results, and ultimately the band took the record to independent ATO Records.[2]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Filter | 79%[5] |
| Paste | 7.5/10[6] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[7] |
Critical reception has been mainly positive. Time praised the first single, "How I See It", as an "easygoing, exuberant song" that made a "perfect introduction to a California-dreaming band on the brink of making it big."[1] In a four-star review, AllMusic said the album "doesn't break down any walls" but was a timeless-sounding collection of songs with contemporary tools" and "finesse".[4] PopMatters rated the record 7/10, noting its "slightly darker indie edge" and finding the release to be "a clear step forward".[7] Paste similarly noted the album's greater use of "modern synths and samples" but found it "just a little surprising that such a sad record can sound so blissfully blasé."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ashes" | 3:45 |
| 2. | "When Everything Was What It Was" | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Likely to Use Something" | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Be Like Him" | 2:46 |
| 5. | "Miss You in My Life" | 3:56 |
| 6. | "How I See It" | 3:15 |
| 7. | "Not the One" | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Metropolis" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Everything for a Stone" | 3:29 |
| 10. | "Back Where You Began" | 4:27 |
