Wild Belle
The Deaf Institute | Manchester, 31st March
Wild Belle, a Chicagoan sibling outfit compromised of Natalie and Elliot Bergman, brought their funk imbued indie jams to the environs of the Deaf Institute on their first outing to Manchester. With a set drawn from their recently released debut LP, Isles, the band’s set was characterised by an endearing blend of reggae hallmarks, mellifluous vocal lines and saxophone solos.
On stage, Natalie exudes an ethereal beauty, and beneath her cascading blonde locks she possesses a beaming smile that remains on her face throughout the set. The repetitive piano stab of Happy Home and the dub beats Keep You retain all their infectiousness in the their live incarnations and prove to be notable highlights. The latter is embellished with a spiralling sax riff which, unsurprisingly, teased out the most movement from the crowd. It was their rendition of Another Girl, with its calypso drenched rhythms, that ensured they reached their apex, and as Natalie warbled: ‘Didn’t I treat you right?’, she kicked off her heels as if they were unsightly Crocs.
The affable duo proclaim that Isles is packed with summer tracks, and you can well imagine that they’d be best enjoyed with the glorious sun beating down at a festival. And while Isles will almost certainly affirm itself as a quintessential summer album, for now Wild Belle pack enough charm to keep us enamoured even on the dreariest of evenings.
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Words: Natalie Longworth
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