Over the course of their ten year career, Belle and Sebastian have made stunning album after stunning album. Frontman Stuart Murdoch has one of those voices where you simply want to listen to everything he has to say. 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, showed a band that was looking to experiment with their sound, something they pushed even further when the brilliant Books EP was released a year later. That being said, The Life Pursuit is a little bit disappointing. It's not terrible by any means, but hardly stands up to Tigermilk or If You're Feeling Sinister. The softer songs just aren't as pretty as they would like to be, and experiments like "White Collar Boy" and "The Blues Are Still Blue," come off as tongue-in-cheek glam nostalgia better suited to b-sides. But then, when all hope seems lost, they drop a bomb called "Song For Sunshine." Combining minimalist disco-funk keyboards for the verses with Beach Boys' harmonies in the chorus, Belle and Sebastian deliver that brilliant genre bender we had been hoping for. "Funny Little Frog" follows and - for a moment - it seems as if the second half may save the first. The rest, however, is slightly forgettable.3 STARS (out of 5)
::if you liked (or were disappointed by) this record, you should really check out Isobel Campbell's Amorino
3 comments:
Haven't got the album yet but I love the single Will.
I find that B&S stuff either shakes me, or I want to shoot it. Good and bad basically.
I pretty much like everything they do - this is the first time I haven't totally dug it.
For the most part, I agree -although after a couple of weeks the cd is growing on me. I love the dvd though, especially Stuart Murdoch dancing - cuter than kittens!
Nothing beats If You're Feeling Sinister, though.
Post a Comment