New Music: Chastity Belt

By Claudia Wong, March 29 2015 —

Based on their name alone, Chastity Belt is a band that’s out to grab attention.

Could this be a Christian rock group? A joke? Their website even goes so far to confirm they are, in fact, “a real band.”

As a real band, they’ve released two albums. Their sophomore record, Time To Go Home, tackles more mature topics than their first album, No Regerts — typo intended.

Tracks on No Regerts like “Seattle Party” and “Pussy Weed Beer” have a frat boy vibe, while Time To Go Home explores less superficial topics.

“Cool Slut” opens with, “We’re just a couple of sluts / Going out of the town, fooling around.” Lyrics like this lack creativity and have the rhyming ability of a middle school student.

While the monotonous, dry vocals may be part of Chastity Belt’s aesthetic, they make the album unappealing and the songs unmemorable.

Although the songs are lyrically disappointing, the upbeat guitar compensates. The album’s initial slow mood becomes more rapid and dreamy. The strong guitar also dampens the vocals, making the lyrics difficult to understand.

The album closes with the title track, which describes a disorientating party where the singer has passed their limit and is thinking it’s time to end the night. Ironically, a song about wanting something to finish echoes the sentiment you’ll have by the end of the album.

Although Time To Go Home works well as pleasant background noise, it doesn’t live up to the intriguing band name and comical song titles. Chastity Belt is more prominent in image than content.