Star (Belly album)

Star is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on January 25, 1993.

Background
In the 1980s and 1990s, vocalist and guitarist Tanya Donelly performed with Throwing Muses and the Breeders. After recording the latter's Safari EP in 1992, she decided to quit both bands to solely focus on her own band, Belly. Belly formed at the end of the previous year, consisting of Donelly, guitarist Thomas Gorman, bassist Fred Abong and drummer Chris Gorman. They released their debut EP Slow Dust in June 1992, produced by Gil Norton, and followed it up with the Gepetto EP in November.

Composition
Along with alternative rock and jangle pop, the songs on Star also dig into "haunting", "avant" folk rock. Tanya Donelly was credited with pushing dream pop's boundaries by "trimming away its pretensions" while keeping its "trancy harmonies". A "distinct post-punk quality" has also been seen in the music, alongside some country and spaghetti Western influences.

Release
Star was released on January 25, 1993, and was an unexpected success. Abong departed from the group in May 1993, his role being filled by Gail Greenwood. On February 21, 1994, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of at least 500,000 units.

The single "Feed the Tree" topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in March 1993, and also became a surprise pop hit, peaking at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The music video for "Feed the Tree" was a smash buzz bin MTV hit, and was nominated for Best Alternative Video VMA and Best New Artist VMA in 1993. "Slow Dog" peaked at number 17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in May 1993, while "Gepetto" peaked at number eight in November, in addition to reaching number 13 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.

"Angel" is not a rerecording of the song of the same name that Tanya Donelly wrote with Throwing Muses for their 1989 album Hunkpapa.

Reception
The Los Angeles Times noted that Donelly "deliver[s] her haunted blues and surreal rock with assurance and adventure." The Orlando Sentinel opined that she often "lapses into that current bane of college rock, the baby-girl voice, sounding like a cross between Julianna Hatfield and Marilyn Monroe."

In 1994, Star was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album, while Belly were nominated for Best New Artist. The band won Best Modern Rock Act at the Boston Music Awards, while Star won the Debut Album of the Year award.

Personnel
Adapted from AllMusic's Credits page for Star.

Belly
 * Tanya Donelly – vocals, guitar
 * Fred Abong – bass
 * Chris Gorman – drums, percussion
 * Thomas Gorman – guitar, organ

Additional musicians
 * Chick Graining – guitar, slide guitar, vocals

Technical
 * Belly – production
 * Tracy Chisholm – engineering, production
 * Gil Norton – production

Artwork and design
 * Chris Bigg – design
 * Chris Gorman – photography