Chicago’s Wild Belle is a duo of siblings (Natalie and Elliot Bergman) whose only rivalries could very well be trying to figure out who is more really really really ridiculously good looking, or, who is more really really really ridiculously talented.
The siblings do not perform alone, however, instead fleshing out their sound as a five piece live act. While their stage presence isn’t yet particularly notable — grooving a bit more wouldn’t hurt — their music gives off warm island-esque vibes with a smidgen of hippie ethos. Their songs put earthy and tactile sounds within a contemporary framework, featuring provocative vocals and a gently bouncy vibe.
Ms. Bergman makes for an angelic front woman with her uniquely penetrating voice; her vocals live in that neck of the woods inhabited by Macy Gray’s alto and Beth Gibbons’ resonant soulfulness. Her inflections might also remind one of Poe, and when the island vibe is taken up a notch, even a touch of Lily Allen. Whatever and whomever her vocalizations bring to mind, her voice is the most unique amongst a battalion of idiosyncratic instruments the band employs (some of which are handmade).
That voice is often set against Mr. Bergman’s testosterone-laden bari sax, the sound of which elicits Pavlovian cheers from the female portion of their audience. It provides a welcome bottom end and anchor to their compositions, vibrating through the room and penetrating auditory canals with its infectiousness.
Some songs naturally bring about a higher level of energy to the stage, such as the set-closing “Keep You,” a song with ebola-like levels of infectiousness that made it an obvious choice as their first single.
They have one album — perhaps not enough material to headline larger clubs at this early juncture — but can turn in a solid forty minute set. Having recently toured with Tennis and others, they will continue honing their craft in the days ahead opening for the much buzzed band, Passion Pit.
