Belle & Sebastian's third album isn't a concept record per se, but
many of its songs speak directly or obliquely to the twenty-something
dilemma; how does one give up adolescence and find a place in the world?
The premature stroke victims in "It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career" try
to get ahead and fail; one female protagonist in "Is It Wicked Not to Care"
ponders the consequences of hanging onto romantic dreams on her own terms
while another in "Rollercoaster Ride" never even gets to the starting line,
sidelined by mental illness. Melancholy stuff to be sure, but if you're a
sucker for a sad song with a silver lining of dry wit then this record's
for you.
The band's relationship to the music business is also grist for
the mill; "Chickfactor" is about being interviewed by a fan when you would
rather be home with your girlfriend, and "Seymour Stein" is a fantasy about
having your girlfriend stolen by a record company executive. "The Boy With
The Arab Strap" (a reference to a Falkirk pop duo whose coarse
sexual confessions are the antithesis of Belle & Sebastian's genteel music)
gets across on two great strengths; Murdoch's knack for writing delicate
but indelible hooks that hook you right away, and the band's immaculately
detailed arrangments, which repay additional listens after you've committed
those hooks to memory.
If you like Belle and Sebastian, check out:
Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister
The Pastels Illumination
The Bats Daddy's Highway
Smog Red Apple Falls
Nick Drake Five Leaves Left
-- Bill Meyer
