Like every other living creature, Elliot Bergman has cultivated methods of getting shit done. For Wild Belle — the Chicago-raised, Brooklyn-inhabiting band the 31-year-old multi-instrumentalist shares with his sister, singer Natalie — Elliot perfects material by dismantling their demos and chasing "the magic button," a term he invoked in a 2012 interview. His sibling doesn't use the phrase herself but, when provided context, knows exactly what he means. "There are times where we say, 'This song is so good, but it isn't perfect yet,' " says Natalie, who turns 24 this month. "That magic button is the 'a-ha' moment when we realize, 'This is what we need to do to give it the final touch.' "Take "Twisted," off March's Isles (Columbia), the debut record from the year-old duo who tour as a five-piece. Elliot inserted a kalimba instrumental into the song, and the Bergmans enjoyed it until they realized that it ran too long. The track's magic-button moment saw the musicians removing the segment entirely only to reinsert it in modified form.
Wild Belle's multi-ethnic allegiances — Afropop, reggae, and rocksteady — fuse into American indie-pop and classic rock. Results are, at varying times, tropical, tepid, and tempestuous. "We called it Isles because each song is its own island," Natalie says. "There's the general theme of losing love, but there's redemption. Ultimately, I want it to be an uplifting record. I want it to take you on your own journey."
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WILD BELLE + TORO Y MOI + DOG BITE :: Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston :: February 15 :: 8 pm :: 18+ :: $20 :: 617.562.8800 or thedise.com
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