Bells Deep’s new album Fog confronts the turbulence of the modern world within a resonating rock sound. The project of Los Angeles-based artist Corey Michael Bell turns its gaze toward the dissonance of daily life — where information overload, disconnection, and burnout blur the line between outrage and apathy. Across a palette of alt-rock grit, post-punk drive, and reflectively climactic structures, the record captures contemporary exhaustion while still reaching for meaning, empathy, and renewal within the noise.
Commencing the album, “DEAD2ME” melds jagged guitar pulses and an introspective lyrical bite with compelling impact. “Pandering works, the truth gets obscured by oversimplification,” Bell sings, lamenting a prevalence of manipulation by systems of authority, exclaiming thereafter: “There’s no guard rails now.” There’s a scathing ardor within — “the spineless always cave” — that resonates, especially as the “it’s who we are” declaration aligns with heavier-rock guitar tones. The ensuing “Start With Sorry” continues the brisk rock feeling, here with the injection of twinkling keys. A bass-fronted presence complements the vocals, asking “when did I become so jaded?” and into a desire to unplug, reset, and reflect, following experiences in a tumult-driven society that seems to foster self-doubt.
Another standout piece of songwriting comes on the album’s title track, magnetic in its initial flourishing of trickling guitars and continuing to immerse in its lyrical imagery. “The fog hugs the coast line, today feels good to be alive,” the vocals stir, producing a sense of inner-peace feeling like the after-effect of the unplug/reset encouraged on “Start With Sorry.” “Fog” continues to progress with atmospheric folk and rock cohesion. “In the mist I catch a glimpse of the time and a place,” a layered vocal energy unveils, ascending into a lovely brass-forward send-off, sounding like a stylish fit for their winding streets of New Orleans.
Exemplary of the project’s ability to succeed in feverish rock realms as well, “Tabloid TV Fever Dream” enthralls with its wailing electric guitar work and guiding vocal contemplation. A murmuring, twangy guitar progression pairs with the vocals, ruminating on modern subservience and a shocking willingness for those to assume submissive roles. “Don’t waste time asking permission, it’s easier just to ask for forgiveness,” Bell sings, venturing into a title-referencing eeriness and scorching final minute, with delectably fervent guitar intensity.
The album’s second half continues to enamor from there, particularly with its final one-two punch. “One Day Closer” relishes personal independence — touting the power of self in a world where no one’s truly “in charge” — while album finale “Spore” is a gently unfolding stunner, embracing psych-friendly textures across a spacious first half before assuming an alt-rock passion in its concluding minutes. Fog affirms Bells Deep as capable of fantastic songwriting, unafraid to confront the static of the moment.
The album is released via Portal of Eels, a vinyl-focused rock label based in Denver, Colorado.
