For a band that tends to write melancholic songs about the outcast and overlooked members of society (Judy hiding under the covers with a flashlight reading about horses or Anthony hiding melted Toblerone under his school uniform), Belle and Sebastian have made an abrupt 180 on their new album, The Life Pursuit. An album of undeniably fun and upbeat songs, this release is already 'pursuing' higher chart positions. The first single, a simple but delightfully catchy pop song that dares to rhyme 'poet' with 'throat' (pronounced 'throw-it'), is currently at No. 13 on the British charts.
Belle and Sebastian hail from Glasgow, but no need to worry: there are no bagpipes to be found on any of their six LP's, one soundtrack or their under-appreciated collection of EP's, Push Barman to Open Old Wounds. Lack of bagpipes aside, one of the first noticeable aspects of The Life Pursuit is its diverse sound. The first song, 'Act of the Apostle,' sounds like Radiohead could have written it if they were not allowed to be strange anymore, 'We Are the Sleepyheads' is so deliriously peppy it could stand in as an ABBA single, and 'Song for Sunshine' resembles a few Steely Dan numbers ?? la 'Pretzel Logic.' This eclectic sound is due to front man Stuart Murdoch's decision to democratize the band after the release of their most revered album, If You're Feeling Sinister.
The result has been a gradual move away from their old sound of beautifully harmonized strings and horns toward a more synthesized and keyboard-driven sound. While less 'beautiful' in its harmonies, Jack Black in 'High Fidelity' would have a hard time referring to The Life Pursuit as 'old sad bastard music.' But the die-hard Belle and Sebastian fans need not fear. 'Dress Up In You,' the most heartfelt song on the album, is a traditional Belle & Sebastian tune through and through: a mid-tempo waltz with Murdoch's perfectly poignant lyrics (e.g. the title of the song comes from the very sweet line 'If I could have a second skin / I'd probably dress up in you').
Many fans would argue that no new Belle & Sebastian recording could ever match the grandeur of If You're Feeling Sinister, but the band themselves seem to disagree. From the bizarrely upbeat 'Sukie in the Graveyard,' (about a kid who really likes to hang out in a graveyard) to the toe-tapping sing-along 'For The Price of A Cup of Tea' (with its playful opening: 'For the price of a cup of tea / You'd get a line of coke / For the price of a night with me') to the wistful 'Morning Crescent,' Belle and Sebastian have not given up the ghost on recording another album of nearly perfect pop songs, and with good reason, too: they still can.
