lambchops's Full Review: If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle & Sebastian
Relaxed, easy, appealing, and unquestionably fascinating Scottish indie popsters Belle and Sebastian burst onto the music scene after the tiny release and subsequent grassroots following of Tigermilk. Who knew that the band would continue living up to incredibly high critical expectations? Who knew that in 1996 the band would begin a streak of nearly equally perfect releases?
Pick any Belle and Sebastian album up and I dare anybody to tell me it has no redeeming value. Maybe it’s not your style and maybe you’d prefer heavy guitars and drums, but just give ‘em a chance. Belle and Sebastian have managed in the course of seven years to solidify their rank as one of their era’s most evocative, intelligent, and entertaining acts. Debut Tigermilk has since been followed by a string of EPs and four overall pretty impressive full-length efforts. Among these are 1996’s If You’re Feeling Sinister, 1998’s The Boy With The Arab Strap, 2000’s Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, and finally 2002’s Storytelling (the soundtrack to the strange little film by the same name.
The most powerful of these releases is either If You’re Feeling Sinister or The Boy With The Arab Strap, but I’m leaning heavily toward the former. The latter is still great, but isn’t quite as cohesive as the band’s sophomore effort. Belle and Sebastian’s lineup is incredible eclectic. At the helm rests Stuart Murdoch, a guitarist and vocalist. But in all the band is made up of seven, rounded out by Sarah Martin (violin), Stevie Jackson (guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). The list of instruments in and of itself goes to show that Belle and Sebastian is something of a unique entity among indie pop as a whole. And this creative, eclectic, off-kilter sense is what drew me initially to the band and what continues to hold my attention.
From the first notes of the lovely The Stars of Track and Field through the final of Judy and the Dream of Horses I’m wholly impressed by If You’re Feeling Sinister. It doesn’t hurt that I am in truth a major fan and former long-time participant of said sport, track and field, one whit either. Anyway, that song is the perfect way to kick off the album. Graceful, understated, and stark (yet somehow rich at the same time—probably due to the utilization of less popular instruments) the song is also wonderfully constructed. The lyrics are catchy and the melody is memorable—and if you’ve seen the film Pumpkin (starring Christina Ricci) you heard it at one of the exceptionally uncomfortable moments (remember Pumpkin’s training scene?). But as much as I adore this song, I must admit that there are better offerings to be had (believe it or not).
What follows is nothing short of a miracle. Seeing Other People is simply gorgeous. There is not other or better word to describe the music created by Belle and Sebastian’s seven outstandingly talented members. Marked initially by just a piano and drums, the song soon takes off into outer space with lovely jangly guitars and Murdoch’s disaffected vocals. Modern pop of any kind doesn’t get better than this. The band could probably be considered pretentious, but I can’t help but adore just about every damn thing they do. The intelligent lyrics add a whole different facet to the music:
We lay on the bed there
Kissing just for practice
Could we please be objective?
Cause the other boys are queuing up behind us
The album continues in a giant, sweeping motion with Martin’s lovely fiddle paired with Murdoch’s gentle voice. Me and the Major is precise and wonderful, yet not among the album’s best. But with that said, the worst songs of If You’re Feeling Sinister are a mere paltry 4.5 stars. The album is indeed that impressive. Like Dylan in the Movies is another wondrous, wistful pop gem.
But it is with The Fox in the Snow that the album once again enters the territory of perfection. Beginning on an extremely minimalist note, Murdoch’s voice and piano are soon joined by a guitar and cello. As each new chorus starts, new instruments are added—a drum here and a violin there. The song oozes creative, innocent, impeccable brilliance. And once again, the words are touching:
Boy on the bike, what are you like
As you cycle round the town?
You're going up, you're going down
You're going nowhere
Equally as impressive is song six, Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying. Chipper, light, and summery the track resonates wonderfully. If one song is going to appeal to the largest group of people, it is this one. Belle and Sebastian have perfected the art of jangle pop. But it’s not brainless or stupid pop; rather it is richly textured and imaginative. Albums just don’t get better than If You’re Feeling Sinister.
Title track, If You’re Feeling Sinister is above all other things beautiful. But when held up to the truly wonderful songs here it pales in comparison. As usual, I love the band’s intricate arrangements and emotional soundscapes. But it just lacks the certain “umph” that makes for really wonderful songs. Mayfly returns to the jangly formula. It is a truly adorable song and had it not been for the songs proceeding, I would have enjoyed it a load more. But as it stands, it is filler—incredible filler, yes, but filler nonetheless.
As the album nears a close, The Boy Done Wrong Again is a pleasant surprise. Once again, stripped of all heavy production elements the track pairs Murdoch with just a guitar and bass guitar—and it is this sound I believe to be the band’s truest strength. They sound plain, real, and as though they are sitting atop a smoky stage in a dark pub. Belle and Sebastian is continually impressive throughout this song and this album as a whole.
Wrapping up with Judy and the Dream of Horses is a perfect move. Picking up the pace from the slower The Boy Done Wrong Again, it puts the proper exclamation point on an otherwise outstanding album. But what strikes me most about this offering is the melody driven by a guitar and Murdoch’s voice (with a later recorder added in for added effect followed by a trumpet and a variety of other instruments). It’s impossible to not appreciate the words, most notably the two lines that follow (that I feel sum up the album very nicely):
With a star upon your shoulder lighting up the path that you walk
With a parrot on your shoulder, saying everything when you talk
Wonderful material here, boys and girls. I came upon Belle and Sebastian pretty late in the game but have been in love ever since. It’s not the kind of music meant to please every palate, but it does please mine. So if you like indie, twee, chamber, or Brit pop I suggest that you give these Scottish lasses and lads more than just a passing glance. Pick up this album—at full price.
Rating: 5/5 stars
01. The Stars of Track and Field - 4:48
02 Seeing Other People - 3:48
03. Me and the Major - 3:51
04. Like Dylan in the Movies - 4:14
05. The Fox in the Snow - 4:11
06. Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying - 3:25
07. If You're Feeling Sinister - 5:21
08. Mayfly - 3:42
09. The Boy Done Wrong Again - 4:17
10. Judy and the Dream of Horses - 3:40
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