Just Because (album)

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]

This article is about the Belle Brigade album. For the Peninsula Banjo Band album, see Peninsula Banjo Band.
Just Because
Studio album by
The Belle Brigade
ReleasedMarch 25, 2014
Length35:44
LabelATO
The Belle Brigade chronology
The Belle Brigade
(2011)		 Just Because
(2014)

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]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Filter79%[5]
Paste7.5/10[6]
PopMatters7/10[7]

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]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Ashes"3:45
2."When Everything Was What It Was"3:32
3."Likely to Use Something"4:09
4."Be Like Him"2:46
5."Miss You in My Life"3:56
6."How I See It"3:15
7."Not the One"3:09
8."Metropolis"3:16
9."Everything for a Stone"3:29
10."Back Where You Began"4:27

Charts
Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[8] 34

Release history
Region Date
United States March 25, 2014

References
  1. Melissa Locker, "The Belle Brigade Make Magic Happen in “How I See It”: Premiere; The Belle Brigade's album, Just Because, drops March 25." Time, February 14, 2014.
  2. Mikael Wood, "The Belle Brigade does things its way this time, 'Just Because'. The Belle Brigade's Barbara and Ethan Gruska say their debut album was 'funneled' through others' desires and that 'Just Because' is more theirs. They changed labels to get it released." Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2014.
  3. "Just Because by The Belle Brigade Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  4. James Christopher Monger, Review of Just Because, AllMusic (accessed 2014-04-08).
  5. Ratzlaff, Angela (March 27, 2014). "Reviews - The Belle Brigade". Filter. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  6. Hilary Saunders, "The Belle Brigade: Just Because Review", Paste, March 25, 2014.
  7. Scott Recker, "The Belle Brigade: Just Because", PopMatters, April 1, 2014.
  8. "The Belle Brigade Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
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