Chastity Belt are back with two new tracks, "I Could Say Less" and "Pavement," and both are quick to hit. The Seattle four-piece haven't slowed down since Live Laugh Love, our Album Of The Week pick in 2024, dropping loose singles and even a killer 764-Hero cover along the way. Now they return to what they do best.
These two are studies in disillusionment. Gloomy guitars, resigned vocals, that specific Chastity Belt ache you first fell for on 2017's "Different Now." "I Could Say Less" opens with a gut-punch: "Why is everything so embarrassing?" And no, "Pavement" has nothing to do with Stephen Malkmus.
But here's the moment. "Pavement" closes on something like hope: "Waking up with a little less dopamine / Well it can be a good thing." That's the band all over, finding light in the low.
Two gems from a group that keeps getting sharper. Listen below.