Bells Larsen -- Blurring Time
Bells Larsen's disciplined, poetic lyrics dissect the contradictory feelings of transition and dysphoria with the ruthlessness and efficiency of a cat with a bird on his stunning album Blurring Time.
Bells Larsen casually transcends the space-time continuum on his stunning release Blurring Time. Larsen's disciplined, poetic lyrics dissect the contradictory feelings of transition and dysphoria with the ruthlessness and efficiency of a cat with a bird. Larsen had the luxury of a few years to work on the album, initially laying the tracks down before beginning HRT. Many of the songs on Blurring Time feature Larsen – as he sounds now – harmonizing with himself. The effect is arresting – country music is familiar with the concept of blood harmony, the uncanny anticipation and diction of people who have sung together their whole loves, but when that person is yourself, it's mesmerizing.
For me, there is a distinct Before and After period of my life before and after my top surgery. I am awake in a way that I was not before. But it's also not as simple as that. The album's title track explores the yearning and doubt that comes with dysphoria: it's a big thing to want, but is it something you can just...take? And what's behind that desire? And how do you know this is really something you want? It's a maddening spiral, and Larsen's exploration of the different means of "blurring time" is a masterclass in songwriting.
Meanwhile, "Questions" is an unflinchingly honest self-dialogue, just shy of brutal. Larsen's spare arrangements give us just enough room to slide the knife between our ribs. The second-person perspective makes these reflections more universal – who doesn't feel ambivalence on their birthday, or anxiety during a flight? And yet, we are also given an intimate and disarming view of Larsen's own state.
Larsen gives that same careful consideration to "My Brother & Me," a tender examination of masculinity as Larsen undergoes the quirk of experiencing puberty alongside his teenage younger brother. What does it mean to be a man? What does that give you, and what does it take away? How do you reconcile the two? And how can you guide the younger generation even as you are making your own way?
Indeed, there are lots of questions. Larsen poses them for us, but comforts us even as we explore the answers alongside him.
