Live Laugh Love—a phrase as popular as it is banal, adorning not only the walls of overly cheerful homes but, for some time now, the ankle of guitarist Julia Shapiro (just above an improvised Shrek tattoo). You could call it a joke if there wasn’t a grain of truth behind every joke. And so the new album from feminist music collective Chastity Belt, »Live Laugh Love«, wraps itself in casual guitar sounds and carefree melodies, practising self-acceptance and looking inwards. Moments of isolation and optimism flicker between the ironically packaged lyrics, written during the pandemic. »I-90 Bridge«, for example, tells of a late-night bike ride across the bridge that connects hip Seattle with the quaint neighbourhood of Mercer Island. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet in the middle of the bustling Interstate Highway, watching the sunset—what better way to wallow in memories of broken relationships? On their new album, Julia Shapiro, Lydia Lund, Annie Truscott and Gretchen Grimm celebrate the friendship that has lasted over fourteen years since the band’s inception. The band is a safe space where experimenting together brings them even closer together. So, let’s raise a can of their own catchily named lager, Pussy Weed Beer, to that. Cheers!
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