Download Belle and Sebastian's free Christmas song!
1 Comments Published by Kate on Tuesday at 12/25/2007 01:17:00 PM.
TGH's favorite Scottish twee poppers have a new song, "Are You Coming Over For Christmas?" available for download on their myspace until Midnight (maybe Scotland time?) today.Belle and Sebastian - Took Some Time For Christmas (live, peel session)
Labels: Belle and Sebastian
I'm not sure I can top last year's post in honor of Stuart Murdoch's birthday, but I have some ideas. Not that they'll happen today.Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With the Arab Strap
Music video for "The Blues Are Still Blue"
Labels: Belle and Sebastian, music video, Stuart Murdoch
This is not news, but still I pine away.
3 Comments Published by Kate on Thursday at 7/19/2007 10:02:00 PM.
There's been no news from my favorite Scottish twee poppers (and possibly favorite band of all time) Belle and Sebastian and no tour dates since last September. On one hand, this could mean that Stuart Murdoch is writing songs, the band is in the studio, and Stevie's just being his cute self. On the other...anything could happen! They could break up! They could go on being their charming Scottish selves and never record music together again!In the Q&A Section of B&S's Website:
From: Derrick ReidI hate to be an emo kid, but I'm dying inside.
Q.Hey....You guys..... So...the suspense is killing me..! It's June 13th, not a peep from my favourite band as to their plans for the rest of the year !! Back to studio ? Album ? Tour ? What gives ? ;-) Derrick
A. The Summer is calling, come blow your horn, go get a girl, go forth and live your dream.
See the colours in your paint box?
Mix them up and splash them across the Season's canvas Jackson Pollok style or if you wish, apply them with a more deft yet still joyful stroke.
Belle and Sebastian - Sukie in the Graveyard (The Life Pursuit)
Belle and Sebastian - If You Find Yourself Caught in Love (Dear Catastrophe Waitress)
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (The Blues Are Still Blue EP)
Belle and Sebastian - Your Cover's Blown (Books EP)
Belle and Sebastian - I Know Where the Summer Goes (This is Just a Modern Rock Song EP)
Belle and Sebastian - Belle & Sebastian (Dog on Wheels EP)
Buy albums and apparel from the Belle and Sebastian shop
from "I Know Where the Summer Goes"
I know where the summer goes
When you're having no fun
When you're under the thumb
I know where the summer dwells
If your underarm smells
And your kitchen looks like hell
Labels: Belle and Sebastian
I’m a few years too young to have heard Dog on Wheels, Belle & Sebastian’s first EP, when it was first released. My long love affair began rather with Storytelling, which was released in June the summer before I went into high school as a freshman. To give you an idea, my favorite songs of the year before were Eve 6’s “Inside Out,” K-Ci & Jojo’s “Crazy,” and Harvey Dangerfield’s “Flagpole Sitta.” Also the entire Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Get the idea?
When I heard first Belle & Sebastian, I wasn’t immediately intrigued: “Night walk” put me to sleep, and the only songs I really liked off the album were “Storytelling” and “Big John Shaft.” Nowadays, it’s “Big John Shaft” I think about. It was Stuart Murdoch’s voice that caught me – he doesn’t really enunciate, but every word he says is crisp. Neither can he be pegged as a tenor or a bass on first listen. Likewise, when he’s singing, he never sounds like he’s really making an effort at it. Really, none of those things would have mattered for “Big John Shaft,” except the entire feeling of this song is unhappy apathy. The simplistic guitar part, the chimes, & the piano all hang around in the background, making occasional slight intrusions into your conscious listening to the song. When the trumpet arrives in the break, it’s a ray of sunshine into a song about mediocracy. I was caught by the song, if not by the album, and started digging into older albums.
Belle & Sebastian – Big John Shaft
Buy Storytelling on eMusic
I decided to go from the beginning, with Tigermilk. I don’t have as much to say about specific songs – the entire album caught me. What is amazing about the album is how how many great songs were there from the beginning: “She’s Losing It,” “The State I Am In,” “I Don’t Love Anyone,” “You’re Just A Baby,” “Mary Jo,” “Electronic Renaissance,” and my personal favorite, “My Wandering Days Are Over” – basically, the entire album.
But it was the feeling of being lost that truly captured me. In “The State I Am In,” there’s the line, “I gave myself to God / There was a pregnant pause before he said, ‘OK’,” and the chorus, “I gave myself to sin again / and then to providence / and now, I’ve been there and back again / the state that I am in.” “She’s Losing It” is about people who have been displaced from society, “Mary Jo” is about a lonely girl. Even “You’re Just A Baby” contains some cynicism masked behind the obvious cuteness of the song with lines like “Kiss me on the cheek before you know what’s cool.”
The focus on children is unique – we think about adults, young and old, as lost in their existential unhappiness, but Stuart Murdoch through Belle and Sebastian takes that idea and applies it to children in the form of cute pop, creating a genre all his own. In a 2003 interview, Stuart rejected the notion of “Twee pop,” saying that the band just wanted to make pretty music. Oh, how they succeeded.
I saved the best for last: “My Wandering Days Are Over.” The essential story, beyond the spooky witch in the sexy dress, the disenchanted pony, and the circus boy, is about someone who has decided to settle down and finds himself more lost than ever.
(I'm sorry these links were screwed up earlier)
Belle and Sebastian – The State I Am In
Belle and Sebastian – My Wandering Days Are Over
Buy Tigermilk on eMusic
I moved on to If You’re Feeling Sinister, which became my official favorite album (I was 14, what can you expect?) until the release of Dear Catastrophe Waitress. Every track on If You’re Feeling Sinister was at least as good as the best track from Tigermilk, and better. With If You’re Feeling Sinister, I had my first experience of wanting to hear every single track of an album all the time – no skipping tracks I didn’t like as much.
As is probably apparent from my last.fm rankings, the first track on If You’re Feeling Sinister, “The Stars of Track and Field,” is still my favorite Belle & Sebastian track. I can’t quite put my finger on why. Potentially, there’s lines like “Could I write a piece about you now that you’ve made it?” and then, in the next verse, “Could I write a requiem for you when you’re dead?” There’s the way it builds. I don’t know. I love it anyway.
I’m beginning to get lazy with writing this post, so I’ll go through songs in If You’re Feeling Sinister this way – by stating my favorite features of each song (that isn’t “the Stars of Track and Field”).
SEEING OTHER PEOPLE – the piano part, the way Stuart pronounces doin’ in the chorus that makes it obvious that he doesn’t believe what he’s saying either
ME AND THE MAJOR – the harmonica!, the ending: “falling falling falling falling….”
LIKE DYLAN IN THE MOVIES – the melody between Stuart and Stevie in the chorus and in the last verse, the line “Pure easy listening, settle down” (don’t ask me why)
THE FOX IN THE SNOW – THE ENTIRE FREAKING SONG, the fact that Stevie can’t hit the note on “Starvin’” and “Kills You,” etc. I heart the guitar part too.
GET ME AWAY FROM HERE, I'M DYING – the beginning, “Oh, get my away from here, I’m dying / play me a song to set me free / nobody writes them like they used to so it may as well be me,” the line “think of it this way / you could either be successful or be us” Actually, this one’s another case of THE ENTIRE SONG
IF YOU'RE FEELING SINISTER – the chorus: “If you’re feeling sinister / go off and see a minister / he’ll try in vain to take away the pain of being a hopeless unbeliever,” the sounds of kids playing throughout the song.
MAYFLY – the sadness of the song: both people involved in the song love people who just aren’t there, the way the song almost ends (too soon) after “You know it’s a crying shame”
THE BOY DONE ME WRONG AGAIN – Stevie singing “the boy done wrong again,” the line “All I wanted was to sing the saddest song / And if you would sing along I will be happy now”
Judy and the Dream of Horses – the way the trumpet comes in after the second verse and the song suddenly makes me want to dance. Also (I can’t help it), “You will fall asleep with ants in your pants”
Belle and Sebastian - The Stars of Track and Field
Belle and Sebastian - Me and the Major (one seriously underappreciated track)
Buy If You're Feeling Sinister on eMusic
After listening to If You’re Feeling Sinister until I knew it by heart, I looked for another album to move onto and found….not a lot. I tried The Boy With the Arab Strap – didn’t really like it. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant? - Not that either. I listened to EP’s: Jonathan David, I’m Waking Up To Us, This is Just A Modern Rock Song, (I do like 3…6…9… Seconds of Light, but it’s just one EP, and that’s not as new for as long as an LP), Legal Man….and they couldn’t hold my attention. I moved on. I found other albums…an LP called The Photo Album by “Death Cab For Cutie?” (who names their band that, really?), Oh, Inverted World by The Shins, Sha Sha by Ben Kweller, Castaways and Cutouts by the Decemberists, the Creek Drank the Cradle by Iron and Wine, *cough* The Places *cough* you have come to fear *cough* the most by *cough* Dashboard *cough* Confessional *cough* (my throat’s cleared now), Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, and more…….
Like going to visit an old friend, occasionally I would put in a Belle & Sebastian album, usually when I’d had a rough day. And Stuart would sing to me.
Well, you know the rest of the story (also, I'm getting a little tired of writing). In 2003 Dear Catastrophe Waitress made critics (and me) happy. And now there’s 2006’s The Life Pursuit - my feelings for it are mixed.
And then there’s old Belle and Sebastian……….
When I heard first Belle & Sebastian, I wasn’t immediately intrigued: “Night walk” put me to sleep, and the only songs I really liked off the album were “Storytelling” and “Big John Shaft.” Nowadays, it’s “Big John Shaft” I think about. It was Stuart Murdoch’s voice that caught me – he doesn’t really enunciate, but every word he says is crisp. Neither can he be pegged as a tenor or a bass on first listen. Likewise, when he’s singing, he never sounds like he’s really making an effort at it. Really, none of those things would have mattered for “Big John Shaft,” except the entire feeling of this song is unhappy apathy. The simplistic guitar part, the chimes, & the piano all hang around in the background, making occasional slight intrusions into your conscious listening to the song. When the trumpet arrives in the break, it’s a ray of sunshine into a song about mediocracy. I was caught by the song, if not by the album, and started digging into older albums.
Belle & Sebastian – Big John Shaft
Buy Storytelling on eMusic
I decided to go from the beginning, with Tigermilk. I don’t have as much to say about specific songs – the entire album caught me. What is amazing about the album is how how many great songs were there from the beginning: “She’s Losing It,” “The State I Am In,” “I Don’t Love Anyone,” “You’re Just A Baby,” “Mary Jo,” “Electronic Renaissance,” and my personal favorite, “My Wandering Days Are Over” – basically, the entire album.
But it was the feeling of being lost that truly captured me. In “The State I Am In,” there’s the line, “I gave myself to God / There was a pregnant pause before he said, ‘OK’,” and the chorus, “I gave myself to sin again / and then to providence / and now, I’ve been there and back again / the state that I am in.” “She’s Losing It” is about people who have been displaced from society, “Mary Jo” is about a lonely girl. Even “You’re Just A Baby” contains some cynicism masked behind the obvious cuteness of the song with lines like “Kiss me on the cheek before you know what’s cool.”
The focus on children is unique – we think about adults, young and old, as lost in their existential unhappiness, but Stuart Murdoch through Belle and Sebastian takes that idea and applies it to children in the form of cute pop, creating a genre all his own. In a 2003 interview, Stuart rejected the notion of “Twee pop,” saying that the band just wanted to make pretty music. Oh, how they succeeded.
I saved the best for last: “My Wandering Days Are Over.” The essential story, beyond the spooky witch in the sexy dress, the disenchanted pony, and the circus boy, is about someone who has decided to settle down and finds himself more lost than ever.
(I'm sorry these links were screwed up earlier)
Belle and Sebastian – The State I Am In
Belle and Sebastian – My Wandering Days Are Over
Buy Tigermilk on eMusic
I moved on to If You’re Feeling Sinister, which became my official favorite album (I was 14, what can you expect?) until the release of Dear Catastrophe Waitress. Every track on If You’re Feeling Sinister was at least as good as the best track from Tigermilk, and better. With If You’re Feeling Sinister, I had my first experience of wanting to hear every single track of an album all the time – no skipping tracks I didn’t like as much.
As is probably apparent from my last.fm rankings, the first track on If You’re Feeling Sinister, “The Stars of Track and Field,” is still my favorite Belle & Sebastian track. I can’t quite put my finger on why. Potentially, there’s lines like “Could I write a piece about you now that you’ve made it?” and then, in the next verse, “Could I write a requiem for you when you’re dead?” There’s the way it builds. I don’t know. I love it anyway.
I’m beginning to get lazy with writing this post, so I’ll go through songs in If You’re Feeling Sinister this way – by stating my favorite features of each song (that isn’t “the Stars of Track and Field”).
SEEING OTHER PEOPLE – the piano part, the way Stuart pronounces doin’ in the chorus that makes it obvious that he doesn’t believe what he’s saying either
ME AND THE MAJOR – the harmonica!, the ending: “falling falling falling falling….”
LIKE DYLAN IN THE MOVIES – the melody between Stuart and Stevie in the chorus and in the last verse, the line “Pure easy listening, settle down” (don’t ask me why)
THE FOX IN THE SNOW – THE ENTIRE FREAKING SONG, the fact that Stevie can’t hit the note on “Starvin’” and “Kills You,” etc. I heart the guitar part too.
GET ME AWAY FROM HERE, I'M DYING – the beginning, “Oh, get my away from here, I’m dying / play me a song to set me free / nobody writes them like they used to so it may as well be me,” the line “think of it this way / you could either be successful or be us” Actually, this one’s another case of THE ENTIRE SONG
IF YOU'RE FEELING SINISTER – the chorus: “If you’re feeling sinister / go off and see a minister / he’ll try in vain to take away the pain of being a hopeless unbeliever,” the sounds of kids playing throughout the song.
MAYFLY – the sadness of the song: both people involved in the song love people who just aren’t there, the way the song almost ends (too soon) after “You know it’s a crying shame”
THE BOY DONE ME WRONG AGAIN – Stevie singing “the boy done wrong again,” the line “All I wanted was to sing the saddest song / And if you would sing along I will be happy now”
Judy and the Dream of Horses – the way the trumpet comes in after the second verse and the song suddenly makes me want to dance. Also (I can’t help it), “You will fall asleep with ants in your pants”
Belle and Sebastian - The Stars of Track and Field
Belle and Sebastian - Me and the Major (one seriously underappreciated track)
Buy If You're Feeling Sinister on eMusic
After listening to If You’re Feeling Sinister until I knew it by heart, I looked for another album to move onto and found….not a lot. I tried The Boy With the Arab Strap – didn’t really like it. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant? - Not that either. I listened to EP’s: Jonathan David, I’m Waking Up To Us, This is Just A Modern Rock Song, (I do like 3…6…9… Seconds of Light, but it’s just one EP, and that’s not as new for as long as an LP), Legal Man….and they couldn’t hold my attention. I moved on. I found other albums…an LP called The Photo Album by “Death Cab For Cutie?” (who names their band that, really?), Oh, Inverted World by The Shins, Sha Sha by Ben Kweller, Castaways and Cutouts by the Decemberists, the Creek Drank the Cradle by Iron and Wine, *cough* The Places *cough* you have come to fear *cough* the most by *cough* Dashboard *cough* Confessional *cough* (my throat’s cleared now), Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, and more…….
Like going to visit an old friend, occasionally I would put in a Belle & Sebastian album, usually when I’d had a rough day. And Stuart would sing to me.
Well, you know the rest of the story (also, I'm getting a little tired of writing). In 2003 Dear Catastrophe Waitress made critics (and me) happy. And now there’s 2006’s The Life Pursuit - my feelings for it are mixed.
And then there’s old Belle and Sebastian……….
Labels: Belle and Sebastian, song piece, Stuart Murdoch
...I bought it yesterday in Georgetown, and finally listened to it at about 12 am last night.
I had no idea what to expect from Belle and Sebastian, and what I found was an eclectic mix of rare soul, rap, big band, R&B, and jazz tracks, with some Johnny Cash, Stereolab, and Big Star thrown in for fun. Having not heard most of the tracks before, I had time figuring out where the original song ended and the remix began. At least I can tell on "Ring of Fire." I though I'd post "Ring of Fire" and two of my other favorites in the hope that someone will buy it.
the Peddlers - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Belle and Sebastian remix)
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire (Belle and Sebastian Remix)
Buy Belle and Sebastian's LateNightTales ...on Amazon
Random Comment of the Day - Murky Coffee has been playing some great music today...
I had no idea what to expect from Belle and Sebastian, and what I found was an eclectic mix of rare soul, rap, big band, R&B, and jazz tracks, with some Johnny Cash, Stereolab, and Big Star thrown in for fun. Having not heard most of the tracks before, I had time figuring out where the original song ended and the remix began. At least I can tell on "Ring of Fire." I though I'd post "Ring of Fire" and two of my other favorites in the hope that someone will buy it.
the Peddlers - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Belle and Sebastian remix)
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire (Belle and Sebastian Remix)
Buy Belle and Sebastian's LateNightTales ...on Amazon
Random Comment of the Day - Murky Coffee has been playing some great music today...
Labels: Belle and Sebastian
As I write this I'm listening to last night's Belle and Sebastian and New Pornographers concert from NPR. Join me in my listening. Can't wait till I can download it to my mp3 player (not an Ipod, mind you).
I think I've been doing a great job ignoring the Oscars. Contrary to the Post, Capote did not take it all. Also contrary to the Post...according to most people I've talked to Jon Stewart didn't suck.
Some other blogger responses to the Belle and Sebastian / New Pornographers concert(s)...
SUNDAY
Don't Worry about the Government has photos...and promises a review
The Ghost of Gordon Sumner
MONDAY
Blog Vivant (who notes that Kathryn Calder is Carl Newman's niece, something I did not know)
almstpennylayne
Apparently last night (Monday) they played both the songs me and my friend wanted to hear most...URG. They were: Piazza, New York Catcher for me and She Wants Me (NPR doesn't have that on their set list, but apparently they played it?) for him. Too bad.
In the interview with NPR, Stuart mentioned the Moody Blues as a inspiration for Belle and Sebastian, which cracks me up, because my dad always swears Belle and Sebastian sound like the Moody Blues. Also, he (Stuart) called our night "hip." What? Is that an insult?
Meanwhile, DC Blogs linked to me (and not just on the sidebar), which is very nice of them. Though they quoted what was clearly the most ditzy part of my post. Thanks anyhow.
I think I've been doing a great job ignoring the Oscars. Contrary to the Post, Capote did not take it all. Also contrary to the Post...according to most people I've talked to Jon Stewart didn't suck.
Some other blogger responses to the Belle and Sebastian / New Pornographers concert(s)...
SUNDAY
Don't Worry about the Government has photos...and promises a review
The Ghost of Gordon Sumner
MONDAY
Blog Vivant (who notes that Kathryn Calder is Carl Newman's niece, something I did not know)
almstpennylayne
Apparently last night (Monday) they played both the songs me and my friend wanted to hear most...URG. They were: Piazza, New York Catcher for me and She Wants Me (NPR doesn't have that on their set list, but apparently they played it?) for him. Too bad.
In the interview with NPR, Stuart mentioned the Moody Blues as a inspiration for Belle and Sebastian, which cracks me up, because my dad always swears Belle and Sebastian sound like the Moody Blues. Also, he (Stuart) called our night "hip." What? Is that an insult?
Meanwhile, DC Blogs linked to me (and not just on the sidebar), which is very nice of them. Though they quoted what was clearly the most ditzy part of my post. Thanks anyhow.
Labels: Belle and Sebastian, New Pornographers
Belle and Sebastian @ the 9:30 club last night...the verdict is:
0 Comments Published by Kate on Monday at 3/06/2006 02:59:00 PM.
AMAZING
I was about 5 ft from the stage, which was pretty awesome as well.
Before I get to Belle and Sebastian, I must discuss the New Pornographers. At about 9:30, they began the evening with Twin Cinema and got through about 5 songs before the lead singer, A.C. Newman, got out his cell to check the time. Around this time he admitted that the band didn't have a set list and Kathryn Calder, filling in for Neko Case, mentioned her inability to sing due to laryngitis. The rest of the songs were by request, and by the end of the show the songs the band made it through included the aforementioned Twin Cinema, July Jones, The Body Says No, Execution Day, and the Laws Have Changed here, along with many others I'm not remembering. Tell me if you were there and do remember, please. Kurt Dahle spent the entire show taking swabs from his liquor bottle - at one point he spent a part of a song when he wasn't playing faking out the audience with his bottle, to much laughter. The balance for the band was pretty bad to begin with, made worse by Kathryn's voice problems, but in general I fully enjoyed the New Pornographers.
During the break between the two bands, I was among the people in the front sitting on the floor. It lasted about 20 minutes...
Belle and Sebastian were, as stated before, AMAZING. They began the show with Stars of Track and Field, which made me happy, since it WASN'T from their new album. They proceeded to get into a lineup that included more of the songs from their new album, which I'm starting to like very much against my will. I think I only started to see the cynicism in some of the songs after seeing them in concert. But back on topic.
After Electronic Renaissance (if I remember the exact song correctly), Stuart Murdoch called back for a small green women's v-neck T-shirt with the album cover, and took off his white shirt (telling us to turn our backs) to put on the B&S shirt, which was obviously too small for him. After stretching awkwardly and fiddling with the shirt for a minute, he proceeded on with the show, frequently jumping up and down and dancing in the most disarmingly aborable way. Stevie danced as well, though it was his stiffness and seriousness that was cute. Admittedly, he was pretty awesome on To Be Myself Completely.
In general, Belle and Sebastian was pretty AMAZING live, being true to the recorded versions of their songs while adding something extra that made the night go from good to AMAZING.
Side note: T
hough none of Belle and Sebastian's members are particularly attractive, I found myself watching Bob, who also has a very cute Scottish accent. See the picture on the left.
Some pictures of the show from Oh fine, I do like blogging.
The NPR Webcast of Tonight's show
The Upstate Life's take on the show (he must have been pretty close to me based on his blog entry) - he also has the set list from last night posted.
I was about 5 ft from the stage, which was pretty awesome as well.
Before I get to Belle and Sebastian, I must discuss the New Pornographers. At about 9:30, they began the evening with Twin Cinema and got through about 5 songs before the lead singer, A.C. Newman, got out his cell to check the time. Around this time he admitted that the band didn't have a set list and Kathryn Calder, filling in for Neko Case, mentioned her inability to sing due to laryngitis. The rest of the songs were by request, and by the end of the show the songs the band made it through included the aforementioned Twin Cinema, July Jones, The Body Says No, Execution Day, and the Laws Have Changed here, along with many others I'm not remembering. Tell me if you were there and do remember, please. Kurt Dahle spent the entire show taking swabs from his liquor bottle - at one point he spent a part of a song when he wasn't playing faking out the audience with his bottle, to much laughter. The balance for the band was pretty bad to begin with, made worse by Kathryn's voice problems, but in general I fully enjoyed the New Pornographers.
During the break between the two bands, I was among the people in the front sitting on the floor. It lasted about 20 minutes...
Belle and Sebastian were, as stated before, AMAZING. They began the show with Stars of Track and Field, which made me happy, since it WASN'T from their new album. They proceeded to get into a lineup that included more of the songs from their new album, which I'm starting to like very much against my will. I think I only started to see the cynicism in some of the songs after seeing them in concert. But back on topic.
After Electronic Renaissance (if I remember the exact song correctly), Stuart Murdoch called back for a small green women's v-neck T-shirt with the album cover, and took off his white shirt (telling us to turn our backs) to put on the B&S shirt, which was obviously too small for him. After stretching awkwardly and fiddling with the shirt for a minute, he proceeded on with the show, frequently jumping up and down and dancing in the most disarmingly aborable way. Stevie danced as well, though it was his stiffness and seriousness that was cute. Admittedly, he was pretty awesome on To Be Myself Completely.
In general, Belle and Sebastian was pretty AMAZING live, being true to the recorded versions of their songs while adding something extra that made the night go from good to AMAZING.
Side note: T
hough none of Belle and Sebastian's members are particularly attractive, I found myself watching Bob, who also has a very cute Scottish accent. See the picture on the left.Some pictures of the show from Oh fine, I do like blogging.
The NPR Webcast of Tonight's show
The Upstate Life's take on the show (he must have been pretty close to me based on his blog entry) - he also has the set list from last night posted.
Labels: Belle and Sebastian, concert, New Pornographers
I didn't say anything earlier about the new Belle and Sebastian album, The Life Pursuit, because I wanted to take a few days to absorb it first. Now I have, and here goes:
The Life Pursuit comes as Belle and Sebastian's 8th full album (not including their recent Live album) and, as a result, expectations. It fails to surpass or even meet the intelligence and subtlety of the band's previous albums. The songs are upbeat without being catchy, and vaguely entertaining without being truly funny. In general, the album lacks the underlying cynicism that was so prevalent in Belle and Sebastian's previous works, part of the reason I'm such a huge fan. The songs are contemplative, merely half-formed conclusions set against a fully formed score, as the band uses more instruments than ever on this album (to the point where I wonder if the lack of guitar and piano was purposeful). The album is not as clever as its predecessors in its use of wordplay, though there are occasional moments of insight, such as in "The Blues Are Still Blue":
OTHER REVIEWS
Rolling Stone review (right on)
Pitchfork review (far too positive as far as I'm concerned)
PopMatters review (on it)
review from 75 or less album reviews (*roars at this one*)
review from Raw.Like.Sashimi (hmmm...)
review from Mercurial Sound (agree with this one completely)
Glorious Noise Review (mixed feelings about this one)
The Life Pursuit comes as Belle and Sebastian's 8th full album (not including their recent Live album) and, as a result, expectations. It fails to surpass or even meet the intelligence and subtlety of the band's previous albums. The songs are upbeat without being catchy, and vaguely entertaining without being truly funny. In general, the album lacks the underlying cynicism that was so prevalent in Belle and Sebastian's previous works, part of the reason I'm such a huge fan. The songs are contemplative, merely half-formed conclusions set against a fully formed score, as the band uses more instruments than ever on this album (to the point where I wonder if the lack of guitar and piano was purposeful). The album is not as clever as its predecessors in its use of wordplay, though there are occasional moments of insight, such as in "The Blues Are Still Blue":
"When I see my washin' / the Black will be Grey / and the White will be Grey / but the Blues are still Blue"The album is far more into storytelling than Storytelling, ironically, and rarely makes generalizations, preferring exposition. All this does not mean I am not enjoying the album, but I do find it less satisfying than Belle and Sebastian's previous two albums, which I felt were building to something great. Admittedly, I will have soon committed the album's songs to my mental index of Belle and Sebastian songs, and the album will no longer feel like such an offense. Then, I will be caught going to see Belle and Sebastian with the New Pornographers and even singing the album's songs under my breath. Nonetheless, The Life Pursuit will remain a disappointment.
OTHER REVIEWS
Rolling Stone review (right on)
Pitchfork review (far too positive as far as I'm concerned)
PopMatters review (on it)
review from 75 or less album reviews (*roars at this one*)
review from Raw.Like.Sashimi (hmmm...)
review from Mercurial Sound (agree with this one completely)
Glorious Noise Review (mixed feelings about this one)
Labels: Belle and Sebastian, review
