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Standout Track: No. 1, “Country,” on which Bellflur uses the life and death of a star as a metaphor for an existential crisis. Employing lyrical signposts to evoke abstract sensory experiences, Bellflur layers delicate acoustic guitar over marching-pace percussion and thick ambient synths.
Musical Motivation: The Universe documentary. “You were created from the furnace of the sun,” says frontman Carlos Gonzalez. “Everything that orbits around a star is actually a part of it. When you watch it die, you are watching a part of yourself dying.” “Country” creates a visual story that ties into the band’s goal to “create a different kind of entertainment,” according to bassist Tom Longobardi. But building the song wasn’t a breeze, says Gonzalez. “We would sit there and play it over and over again, trying to see the song visually. We work at a slow pace, and it took months.”
Sensory Declaration: As the song starts to pick up speed, the lyrics refer to “a brilliant star, from a broken home, with California on the phone.” Gonzalez says the Golden State reference “was written in the spur of the moment, and gave us the feeling of hope. It brings about a whole change in your personality and feeling for the song.” He says the band writes music not only to depict emotions, but also to form sensations or impressions. He says Bellflur’s lyrics don’t guarantee a particular listener interpretation, though; they “provide a landscape for people to wander through and decide for themselves.”
Watch the music video below.
Bellflur: Country from Rich Bernett on Vimeo.