Music Review: Belle - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is defined as an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something. In the medical profession, doctors consider this a serious condition that requires therapy as treatment. Olskool Ice-Gre Tha Gud Dr. (my full stage name during my active artist days) considers OCD an extremely dope title for a 7 song ep and can asses that writing it was therapy for the artist as well as treatment. Belle, a female vocalist from Toronto, who showed up in my Twitter timeline is the cause and her latest release Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the prognosis. The ep opens with a hauntingly reconstructed version of Aaliyah’s One In A Million titled Enemy. I would be the first to say to an artist “you might want to rethink touching Aaliyah’s music if you’re not ready to be critiqued HARD!” Well, Belle courageously steps out and not only reconstructs the production but she uses the original vocal arrangement to express her version. The outcome is an ultra cool play on a classic that even the hardest critic can enjoy. Belle matches that memorable tone pretty close but it’s the subject matter, approach, honesty and realness of Enemy that make the effort undeniable. The ep progresses to No Sleep In Toronto which is another painfully honest joint where Belle shares the reasons for her insomnia. She lets it be known, the thoughts and secrets she’s harbored about her life since a teen, won’t allow her body to rest.
As you continue to ride the reality rollercoaster that is OCD, you’ll come to the first song dedicated to a past relationship titled Did You Think I Wasn’t Going To Call You Out. Belle doesn’t make it hard to describe her songs in detail because the titles are exactly what the song is about. No need to elaborate, this here is straight no chaser! What I will say is, I feel for whoever she referring to in the song because OCD touches the compassionate nerve which makes you wonder, who in their right mind would intentionally hurt this girl knowing what she’s already gone through. The ep ends with the text made it cool to abbreviate title; IDGAF. Abbreviated sentences personally drive me crazy (in a text), but I can accept it as a song title because it’s in an artistic context. Outside of art, it’s just plain lazy! Anyway, IDGAF makes complete sense as the curtain closer because we come to a resolve. This is the point that Belle realizes she’s “living out her nightmares wide awake” and makes a decision to move forward and stop allowing her dark past to create current misery. There are a few more joints that round things out such as Don’t Hurt Me and Distance which are meaningful but lack in vocal performance. Another is Issues, here she tickles the ivory while expressing the reality of yet another hard truth about oneself. “I’m diggin my own grave…for all my issues” is the chorus and it is as deep as it is self evaluating. Overall, Belle is an interesting artist with a real story, whose bravery may heal someone.
Written by: @Olskool_IceGre
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/musicofbelle
Official Site: https://musicofbelle.com
Twitter: @musicofbelle