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Home  >  Belle a Sebastian  >  The Life Pursuit

Belle & Sebastian

The Life Pursuit

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Review

Rated Member Rating by WillGilbert on 02/18/2006

Nearly 10 years on, Belle & Sebastian are back with their 6th long player. They're following the example of Felt, churning out album after album of well-crafted songs, with sturdy melodies and elaborate arrangements. A new record seems to come out before their fans are even sick of the last one. Dear Catastrophe Waitress took them into what were, for them, a bunch of new musical territories, and The Life Pursuit keeps that process of genre-exploration going. It's cool how their albums lately sound so fresh, and continue to surprise. Years ago they established their sound (in fact, they pretty much came out of the womb fully-formed, it seemed), but since then have continued to evolve. So far they've succeeded at creating a Belle & Sebastian version of pretty much any genre they've felt like tackling. On my first listen to The Life Pursuit, I was intrigued, but not sure yet what to make of it. I was listening to it in my room, and my girlfriend, who I should mention gave up on them around the time of Fold Your Hands Child, walked into the room during The White Collar Boy and said, "Jesus, they should just skip putting out albums and go straight to Broadway." Hmmm. I laughed. But, then I decided she'd nailed it. To some extent, Stuart Murdoch has veered his troupe into Musical Theatre territory with this one. It's full of characters, simply pursuing their lives, I guess you'd say. The details of their lives, their problems--they're all depicted here. The album gets started with a Act of the Apostle, with its proto-B&S left-hand piano riff and a triangle. It features a struggling organist, who's having a time of it with Morning Has Broken. There's also a "choirmaster, [who's] usually a bastard." Another Sunny Day, which is next, is typical B&S fare, with nice twin guitar solos by Stevie. White Collar Boy is where they really get into Broadway territory, though. The backing vocals here really bring to mind Hair, or Jesus Christ Superstar. And I know it sounds like a stretch, and I racked my brain trying to figure out who Stuart's vocal sounds like on this song, besides Bowie (only because it reminded me so much of someone else's voice)--and I finally figured out it's the guy from Supergrass, circa I Should Coco (for whatever that's worth). The song's got a crazy-sounding, searing guitar solo, and an a cappella breakdown. It's really fun music. The Blues are Still Blue has an early Roxy Music feel, and allows Stuart a chance to do his best baritone croon, a la Bryan Ferry. The phased backing vocals sound like an organ on this one. Dress Up in You is maybe a little cocky, a little smarmy (I am the singer in the band / You're the loser / I won't dismiss you out of hand / you've got a beautiful face / it would take you places). Sukie in the Graveyard and We are the Sleepyheads continue the musical fun, with more stories and more characters. Song for Sunshine is definitely a new style for them. It features a funky clavinet, and a Sly and the Family Stone-style big, monolithic verse melody. It's even got bongos on it. Funny Liitle Frog is a great tune about a character who's living in imagination and fantasy. To Be Myself Completely is a Stevie song. It's ok. Act of the Apostle II is a little ditty. It's another song in the Musical Theatre vein, about a Max Fischer type, who dreams of being "a demon at maths and science." For the Price of a Cup of Tea is the album's most joyful song. Maybe it's not the strongest song lyrically, but it's probably my favorite. The horns, the glockenspiel, the marimba, the funky little organ line, and the ending, which is sung like a round, equal infectious pop music at its finest. The album's closer is Mornington Crescent, an elegaic look back at, well, something. It provides Stevie the perfect chance to toss in some Robbie Robertson licks, though. And it's the only song that I know of that even comes close to featuring the word Senegalese. It's got a nice guitar solo, that, in a beautful moment in the mix, gets overtaken by a noodling piano that keeps the spotlight for just a few seconds before retreating to the shadows. It's got the feeling at times of southern soul (southern US, that is), and its slow pace provides a nice ending to the album. There's really nobody else making music right now anything like what Belle & Sebastian are doing. This is another fine record from them.
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Fine review, rich to read. I try, but can never come up with the word "noodling," when it is needed. It is a high compliment in my eyes to compare it to rock opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber is, I don't know if he's a genius, but he doesn't fuck around. The new Belle and Sebastian album has gotten better with each listen.
Posted by MillyVicks on 02/17/2006 
This review is just delicious! My favorite B&S record has got to be If You're Feeling Sinister with Tigermilk coming in a close second. Anyone else? Dang... I can't believe those albums are 10 years old now.
Posted by Ruben_James on 02/16/2006 

Album Details

  • Year: 2006
  • Label: Matador
  • Producer: Tony Hoffer
  • Musicians:

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