Just Because is the second full-length album by American band The Belle Brigade, whose members are siblings Barbara and Ethan Gruska. It was recorded with engineer and co-producer Shawn Everett and mastered by Bob Ludwig. The album was released on March 25, 2014.[1]
The Belle Brigade's first album had received wide critical praise, but on their second album, the Gruskas wanted to pursue a less slickly produced and more individual sound. Their record company, Reprise Records, expressed dissatisfaction with the results, and ultimately the band took the record to independent ATO Records.[2]
Critical reception has been mainly positive. Time praised the first single, "How I See It", as an "easygoing, exuberant song" that made a "perfect introduction to a California-dreaming band on the brink of making it big."[1] In a four-star review, AllMusic said the album "doesn't break down any walls" but was a timeless-sounding collection of songs with contemporary tools" and "finesse".[4]PopMatters rated the record 7/10, noting its "slightly darker indie edge" and finding the release to be "a clear step forward".[7]Paste similarly noted the album's greater use of "modern synths and samples" but found it "just a little surprising that such a sad record can sound so blissfully blasé."[6]
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