Despite being arguably the most beloved indie-pop band of the past decade, Belle and Sebastian have always had a certain stigma attached to them. Described by Jack Black as "sad bastard music" in "High Fidelity" (2000), the Scottish seven-piece band's delicate chamber-pop style and cynically literate lyrics have painted the typical B&S listener as either a sexually frustrated art school student or a latte-drinking, scarf-wearing yuppie.
After a couple lackluster albums B&S decided to shed - or attempt to shed - this label with 2003's "Dear Catastrophe Waitress," a record on which the group sounded much more like a full band rather than just a vehicle for singer/guitarist Stuart Murdoch's bittersweet love stories.
Produced by Trevor Horn (one of the most commercially successful producers of the 1980s) in California rather than Scotland, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" was full of groovy R&B bass lines and contained smash hits such as "Step Into My Office Baby," and "I'm A Cuckoo," Belle and Sebastian's highest charting single ever.
When the group released the single "Your Cover's Blown," a six-minute indie/disco epic which garnered massive critical acclaim for the band, it became clear that the band had made the leap from "sad bastard music" to indie-rock anthems.
Devoted fans didn't completely embrace their beloved band's new direction, however, and felt that the band had lost their edge to conform to genre norms. This thought was further enforced last year with the release of "Push Barman to Open Old Wounds," a collection of Belle and Sebastian EPs. Arguably the band's greatest canon of work, that album reinforced the fact that as charming and infectious as their more danceable tracks are, Belle and Sebastian's best work occurs when they are cynical and introspective.
The big question surrounding the release of the group's seventh full-length, "The Life Pursuit," was whether they would return to the playfully skeptical style they are best known for or take another step away from that direction. The answer to that question is something that music fans of all types can be happy about: not only does "The Life Pursuit" contain some of the band's most infectious melodies and heartbreaking lyrical content, but it is edgy, confident and quite funky as well.
"The Life Pursuit" starts strong out of the gates with the opening drum-machine and piano riff on "Act of the Apostle," the album's stellar opening track. While
evident throughout their new album, Belle and Sebastian's growth as a band especially stands out in "Act of the Apostle." Murdoch's lyrics are still as full of image and introspection as they have ever been, but rather than sounding too wimpy and twee, the track stays warm and upbeat.
This is a testament to the work of Trevor Horn, who layers "The Life Pursuit" with everything from lively horns and lush string arrangements to distorted drums and dirty basslines, making the album feel like a celebration more than a mourning. The most impressively produced track on the album is undoubtedly "Sukie in the Graveyard;" with its organs, horns, guitar solos and fuzz bass, it's as much of a banger as anything that B&S have ever released.
Another album standout, the particularly upbeat "We Are the Sleepyheads," is a gem of a song chock full of catchy guitar riffs and backup vocals that would make even Brian Wilson proud. Given the amount of praise that "I'm a Cuckoo" and "Your Cover's Blown" received, it would be surprising if "We Are the Sleepyheads" didn't become a smash hit single (if the band decides to release it as one). The current UK single "Funny Little Frog," while innocuous enough, is a little too vanilla to have a great deal of lasting appeal.
"Dress Up In You," the song most reminiscent of the Belle and Sebastian of yore, contains all of the well-crafted wit that cemented Stuart Murdoch's reputation as one of the decade's great songwriters. Not only does "Dress Up In You" remind the listener of classic B&S songs like "The State I Am In," it very much deserves to be mentioned alongside the band's other classic songs.
But as charming and pretty as "The Life Pursuit"'s more subdued songs are, they are overshadowed by the album's more upbeat and adventurous tracks. While the band's divergence from their earlier material may upset longtime fans, it is nice to see a band come out of its shell and explore new territory. And not only does "The Life Pursuit" show Belle and Sebastian exploring new territory, but it shows them flourishing in it as well.
