155: Bells Larsen - Might
"This is a hard song..." Bells Larsen says with a tut, his voice held in the quiet static surrounding the recording of 'Might', the closing song on the forthcoming Blurring Time LP. It's an earned quiet, a gentle moment of calm in what's been a very noisy time for the Canadian songwriter.
You might have seen a recent social media post that went viral, within which Larsen detailed why they were no longer able to tour the US in support of the new album. In the Instagram post, Larsen confirmed that his tour would have to be cancelled following the American Federation of Musicians stating that he can no longer apply for a visa that aligns with his gender. “I received an email on Tuesday from the American Federation of Musicians stating that I am no longer able to apply for a Visa because US Immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one’s assigned sex at birth. To put it super plainly, because I’m trans (and have an M on my passport), I can’t tour in the States," Larsen wrote.
While live plans might have been curtailed by seeping fascism, the album remains, and Blurring Time - regardless of the additional context - is a beautiful, stirring, frequently life affirming document of Larsen's journey. Written and recorded throughout their transitional period, the album features Larsen's previous high voice and more recent lower register, the two often bound together; past and present in a waltzing dance, arm in arm, blurring time.
Peel back even that layer of context however and the simple music you're left with is equally deserving of time and recognition. Each of the album's three singles are beautifully conceived and delivered, gentle of echoes of Florist, Sufjan and Elliott too, ripple through the songs, the deep personal nature of the song-writing given time and space to breathe and blossom.
'Might' feels like the moment the whole project comes together, both a prelude to the whole experience but also a bookmark in time. I move through time but somehow I’m exactly the same," Larsen sings offer subtle folk instrumentation. Maybe it’s time that moves through me, inviting change."
A timely reminder of growth and resilience; a voice to raise.
“Many coming-of-age stories are furnished with dichotomies of the before and the after, without the two ever merging,” Larsen reflects. “For the purposes of Blurring Time, I didn’t want to have to choose between showcasing my past or present. Through the creation of this album—and of myself, I suppose—I wanted to change “or” to “and” with the hopes of extending a hand to older versions of myself, carrying them with me as I grow.”
Blurring Time is released on Friday, April 25. Pre-order via Bandcamp
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