Tigermilk
Belle and Sebastian
Matador OLE-361-8
1996
This is the 1999 re-issue of the Belle and Sebastian debut album originally released on Electric Honey Records as a college student music project. I recently read Stuart David's memoir of the formative years of Belle and Sebastian entitled "In the All-Night Café" which I loved. He was the first person Stuart Murdoch recruited for the band and he provides an intimate account of the events leading up to this record (Murdoch's account of this in the album's liner notes is fiction.) The book concludes with the record release party in which David describes fellow students taking their free copies of the album and using them as frisbees in the street which pains me greatly to envision. It probably ought to pain them as well since original pressings of this album generally sell for hundreds of dollars. Belle and Sebastian have long been one of my go-to bands when I am feeling down so during these painful times I have been listening to them often. This is my second favorite of the band's albums (after "If You're Feeling Sinister.") I think it is one of the great debut albums of all-time which is even more impressive considering the chaotic circumstances in which it was recorded - a true testament to Murdoch's artistic will and integrity. The album opens with "The State I Am In" which is one of the quintessential early Belle and Sebastian songs. With its clever and humorous vignettes describing youthful ennui and narcissism delivered by Murdoch in a low-key sensitive voice over a jangle pop/chamber pop music track that gradually builds in strength, it was the blueprint for their next three albums. It floored me the first time I heard it and I still find it endlessly compelling. "Expectations" continues in a similar vein, only more cutting and anguished. It focuses on the suffering of an alienated female adolescent, when Murdoch writes in the third person he often chooses a feminine viewpoint. Isobel Campbell on cello and Mick Cooke on trumpet expand the group's sound, giving it the chamber pop flavor that is a Belle and Sebastian trademark. It reminds me of Love's "Forever Changes" which I consider high praise. The jaunty "She's Losing It" likewise features a female protagonist and includes some lesbian references that are common with the early Murdoch. Early Belle and Sebastian were often criticized as being "twee" but Murdoch can be pretty tough at times as demonstrated by "You're Just a Baby" which borders on being misogynistic. It is the hardest rocking song on the record with a strong riff driven sound bolstered by Chris Geddes wailing on organ. The side concludes with the uncharacteristic "Electronic Renaissance." It has a disco beat and is driven by a synthesizer and organ with Murdoch's voice being electronically processed. I always assumed Stuart David had something to do with the song since he pursued a similar sound with his solo project Looper, but in his book he says it was all Murdoch's idea. Apparently synth-pop was a possible direction the band could have followed and which I am very glad they did not (although it has popped up on some of their recent albums.) Side two gets off to a dynamic start with the propulsive "I Could Be Dreaming" which is driven by synthesizer and heavily reverberated electric guitar chords. Murdoch shows his tough side again with numerous references to repressed violent impulses in his youthful protagonist. The song concludes with a kinetic rocked up instrumental passage over which Campbell recites a passage from "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving for reasons that escape me. I wouldn't argue if you called that pretentious but I still like it. The record shifts direction with the melancholy "We Rule the School" which features some lovely cello passages from Campbell supporting yet another portrait of feminine adolescent angst. The introspective "My Wandering Days Are Over" is another classic Murdoch song with strong support from Campbell on cello and harmony vocal as well as Cooke on trumpet that foreshadows the sound of the next three albums by the group. If I was a whole lot younger "I Don't Love Anyone" would have been my personal anthem as an adolescent/college student. I wish there had been a band like Belle and Sebastian back when I was that age, I would have loved Murdoch like a brother. Even though I was a lot older than the protagonist of the song, it still resonated greatly with me when I first heard it. It remains one of my favorite Murdoch songs and I adore the jangle pop that drives it. The record concludes with the chamber pop sound of "Mary Jo" which is yet another portrait of an alienated young woman. The song name checks the imaginary novel "The State I Am In" mentioned in the opening track which has a nice bookending effect. It is a lovely song enhanced by Campbell's breathy background vocals that gives the record a moving finish. I consider this a flawless album aside from the disruption in its flow caused by "Electronic Renaissance" which is nonetheless a good song. Murdoch's vision is clear and compelling and the band's sound is surprisingly robust for what was an ad hoc production by a band that was barely even a band. The group coalesced during the recording of the record but listening to it you would think they had been together for years. Belle and Sebastian is my favorite band after the Beatles and this record is a big part of my love for them. I have been playing it regularly for 20 years and it still thrills me. I'm not sure I have ever heard a songwriter who reaches me as well as Stuart Murdoch and the band's sound pushes all my buttons. They have helped me a lot these past few weeks. Recommended to Zombies fans who dig the Smiths.
God Help the Girl
Original Soundtrack
Milan Records M2-36700
2014
This is the soundtrack to Stuart Murdoch's debut film which began as an album with the same title. The original album features much of the same music mostly sung by Catherine Ireton who portrayed the main character, Eve. For the film soundtrack the actress Emily Browning replaces her on vocals. Ireton is a more polished singer, but I find Browning more satisfying. Ireton is too slick to convey the vulnerability and feelings of the character as well as Browning does. The film depicts a troubled young woman, Eve, who aspires to achieve success in the music business. With the help of a couple of friends she forms a band called God Help the Girl to fulfill her musical vision. Bob Kildea and Chris Geddes are the only members of Belle and Sebastian who actually perform in the film band (which resembles a more photogenic version of the Belles) but the entire lineup of Belle and Sebastian perform on the soundtrack which results in it sounding like a Belle and Sebastian album performed by guest vocalists. It is too bad that Browning already has a day job, she'd be a great addition to the group. The record opens with "I Suppose That Was a Prayer" which is a melancholy instrumental with some of Browning's dialogue from the film. The soundtrack record corresponds roughly to the chronology of the film but this dialogue is from near the end of the film where Eve describes her healing. It is followed by her performance of "Act of the Apostle" which was originally recorded by Belle and Sebastian on "The Life Pursuit." The song is full of typically Murdochian cleverness and adolescent angst and although it predates the film, it fits it perfectly and is used to introduce Eve during the title sequence. The song has a music hall flavor to it that suits Browning very well. The song is slightly altered from the original and truncated but I prefer this version of the song to the original because of the vocal. "I Dumped You First" is a Murdoch song performed by Olly Alexander who plays Eve's friend James in the film. It begins with some dialogue from the film as James' band breaks up on stage. It is a quiet song performed on acoustic guitar that uses desperate boasting to cover up heartbreak. Only a brief section of the song is used in the film but the complete version is played during the title crawl at the end of the film. Browning sings the tender piano driven "Pretty When the Wind Blows" which she performs in the mental hospital in the film as she is trying to recover from her illness and start songwriting. "I Know I Have To Eat" is another melancholy instrumental with dialogue of Eve talking about her problems with her doctor. The record perks up with the delightful "God Help the Girl" which is Eve's description of her contradictory nature. It is vivacious sunshine pop sung by Browning with a sparkling orchestral arrangement by former Belle, Mick Cooke. In the film Browning only croons the second verse of the song accompanying herself with a keyboard app on her phone. This version of the song isn't used at all in the film unfortunately. Browning also sings "The Psychiatrist Is In" in which Eve impersonates a psychiatrist for the benefit of James. It is an overtly romantic sounding song with bongos and a sensuous string arrangement. Side two begins with "The God of Music" which features dialogue from James and Eve from the film. This is a bit out of order since it appears in the film after the following song, "If You Could Speak" which is performed by Browning, Alexander and Hannah Murray who plays Eve's other friend, Cassie, in the film. It is a jaunty tune that is featured in the charming scene where Eve and James teach Cassie how to write a song. "The Catwalk of the Dukes" is a lovely instrumental reprise of "The Psychiatrist Is In" that is used in the scenes where Eve counts her pills and then asks for a job at Dukes Cafe. It is followed by "Perfection as a Hipster" which is performed by Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy with support from Browning. He doesn't appear in the film, Eve's obnoxious boyfriend Anton puts the song on when he takes her to the clothing shop where he works. On the original "God Help the Girl" album, Hannon portrayed Anton but the conception of the character seems to have changed by the time the film was made because the lyrics don't sound much like the film version of Anton. "F**k this Sh*t" is a wistful instrumental that Belle and Sebastian composed and performed for the film "Storytelling" and which previously appeared on the Belle and Sebastian album of the same name. It is out of order on the record, it follows the "Pretty Eve in the Tub" segment in the film and it appears again in the end credits. It makes very effective background music for the scenes of Eve and James wandering around Glasgow. "Pretty Eve in the Tub" is a chamber pop song sung by Alexander that accompanies footage of Eve bathing and glimpses of her life at home in the film. James is apparently the subject of "A Loving Kind of Boy" which is sung by Belle and Sebastian guitarist Stevie Jackson and accompanies footage of James, Eve and Cassie posting flyers trying to recruit musicians for their band. It is an upbeat sunshine pop song given a Spanish flavor by the horn section. Side three starts with "What Do You Want This Band to Sound Like?" which is another snippet of film dialogue featuring Eve, James and Cassie discussing their band. It precedes "A Loving Kind of Boy" in the film. Browning sings "Come Monday Night" which is driven by a hypnotic bass riff from Kildea and a gorgeous string arrangement from Cooke. It is a typically Murdochian song that contrasts the monotony of ordinary life with the romantic aspirations of the singer. In the film it is performed by God Help the Girl at a rehearsal. "Collective Idiocy" is another snippet of dialogue regarding band names. "I'm Not Rich" is Murdoch's version of a hip hop song sung by the three friends confronting their delusions about themselves. It does not appear in the film nor did it appear on the original record. It is mildly amusing but superfluous. Browning sings the exuberant "I'll Have to Dance with Cassie" which accompanies the big production number in the film. It is insanely catchy and engaging in the best Belle and Sebastian manner. I consider it the highlight of both the album and the film. "Stalinist Russia" is another dialogue snippet featuring James and Cassie discussing his failure at romance with Eve. It occurs much later in the film. "Baby's Just Waiting" is sung by Celia Garcia who was a participant in the original "God Help the Girl" album. She plays a garbage collector who joins the band in the film. It is pure Stuart Murdoch both in the way it blends 1960s pop with contemporary music and its familiar themes of the oppression of school, misfits and romantic disconnection. The song is out of sequence on the soundtrack, in the film it appears before "I'll Have to Dance with Cassie" when James and Eve first enter the dance hall. "Partick Whistle" is a pretty instrumental version of the song "Down and Dusky Blonde." Side four commences with "Musician, Please Take Heed" which traces the events of Eve's breakdown concluding with her drug overdose. The song is delicately sung by Browning at first, but then the driving guitar riff kicks in and the song takes off. It is the most energetic and dramatic song in the film. "I Just Want Your Jeans" is sung by Hannah Murray who is a much less skilled singer than Browning but her awkwardness suits her character well and enhances the goofiness of the song which is meant to be written by Cassie. The song illustrates Cassie's growing self-confidence in the film. "Invisible" is another moody instrumental. It appears in the flashback of the trio clowning around that follows Eve's overdose which chronologically occurs before "I Just Want Your Jeans" in the film. It is also reprised during James and Eve's walk to the train station at the end of the film. "The World's Last Cassette" is more dialogue from the film courtesy of the two radio DJs that Eve is desperate to give her demo tape to. Their radio banter appears periodically throughout the film and is mostly annoying to me. I find Eve's obsession with them to be the most contrived element in the film. "Down and Dusky Blonde" is mostly sung by Browning with help from Murray. It functions as Eve's statement of liberation and fulfillment and is performed by God Help the Girl in their sole live gig in the film. It displays Murdoch's typical knack for delivering an emotionally compelling song with irresistible pop allure. "Dress Up In You" is a Belle and Sebastian song that first appeared on "The Life Pursuit." It plays over Eve's bus ride which ends the film and then continues into the title crawl. It seems like an ironic song to play at the end of the film since the film celebrates Eve going off to find success and the song represents the bitter perspective of a spurned former friend directed at someone who has gone on to be a big success. Actually I find the whole film perplexing in that regard. It is obviously a personal film for Murdoch, loaded with all his favorite themes and I suspect he relates to both James and Eve. The story closely resembles the beginning of Belle and Sebastian, however the ending is the equivalent of Murdoch abandoning Glasgow after making "Tigermilk" and running off to London to become a pop star. Regardless of my misgivings about the conclusion, I consider the film and this record to be immensely satisfying. I've long been a huge fan of Stuart Murdoch and regard this to be among his most quintessential works. Murdoch's lyrics are consistently evocative, resonant and intelligent making a simple story seem profound and emotionally powerful. Musically it is wonderful, as engaging and appealing as any Belle and Sebastian record ever. I like the little instrumental interludes as well and even the excerpts of the dialogue from the film. The record particularly benefits from Mick Cooke's brilliant orchestral arrangements which has always been a Belle and Sebastian strength. This album is essential for Belle and Sebastian fans and will probably appeal to most people on the poppier side of the indie rock spectrum. Recommended to people whose favorite Belle and Sebastian album is "If You're Feeling Sinister."
Underachievers Please Try Harder
Camera Obscura
Merge MRG 239
2003
I was very unhappy to read that Carey Lander died of cancer a few weeks ago. She was the keyboard player for Camera Obscura (she is wearing the white hat in the cover pictures for this album.) She also did the string arrangements and sang back-up vocals on this record. I admire this band and have ever since I first heard "Suspended From Class" from this record on KXLU a decade ago. I bought the CD and loved it so much that I bought it on vinyl as well. I like all their albums but this is by far my favorite and I have to admit the main reason I love it so much is that it reminds me of their fellow Scots, Belle and Sebastian. I've never heard any record that sounds more like Belle and Sebastian without actually being by Belle and Sebastian. Even the cover art looks like a Belle and Sebastian record, hardly a surprise since head Belle, Stuart Murdoch, snapped the pictures. I don't mean to imply that the album is blatantly imitative of the Belles, it is more that it shares common themes and the splendid chamber pop sound that made those early Belle and Sebastian records so magical. The record opens with "Suspended From Class" which with its school metaphor, romantic awkwardness and self-deprecating lyrics immediately evokes early Stuart Murdoch. Tracyanne Campbell has a low key, reserved style of singing but her voice is extremely lovely and sucks me right into the song. Lander's graceful piano solo is supplemented by Nigel Baillie's delicate trumpet lines giving the song a delightful sound that is right out of the Belles' playbook. "Keep It Clean" manages to be twee and coolly cutting at the same time, another early Murdoch trait. The song is propulsive but retains a chamber pop flavor driven by Lander's organ and Kenny McKeeve's reverb laden guitar runs. "A Sisters Social Agony" is a tender portrait of an indie-minded adolescent with all the corresponding angst that comes with. You don't hear many pop songs that mention the film director Mike Leigh. The music evokes early 1960s girl groups and 1950s doo-wop. Campbell's dreamy vocal carries the song. "Teenager" is one of my favorite tracks on the record. It is addressed to a boy who is infatuated with a self-centered girl and the singer's attempt to woo him back. The song opens with a beat group style guitar run before assuming the shuffling melody that drives the song. Campbell's vocal is particularly compelling on this tune. "Before You Cry" is a laid back break-up song. It has a jaunty country-flavored melody which suits its rather callous lyrics. John Henderson takes the vocal on the early part of the song before being joined by Campbell for the chorus. She sings the final verse. "Your Picture" critiques a narcissistic friend. Henderson sings this one as well with a lugubrious vocal given extra depth with reverb. Campbell sings a subdued harmony vocal in parts of the song. The song is mostly supported by acoustic guitar. It reminds me of early Leonard Cohen. Side two opens with "Number One Son" which describes more adolescent romance woes. It is another one of my favorite cuts. It is a joyous track with a propulsive beat and a catchy melody that is fleshed out with strings and Baillie's trumpet. It is the song that sounds the most like Belle and Sebastian on the record. The poppy, upbeat sound continues with "Let Me Go Home" which is about a wild party with Motown records spinning, guests drinking and couples making out on the stairs. Henderson sings lead and Lander's piano and McKeeve's jangly guitar runs carry the song which is the happiest track on the album. Pure pop bliss. The album slows down for "Books Written For Girls" which chronicles a mismatched romance with misleading appearances and false expectations. Campbell's plaintive vocal is more emotional than is typical on this record. I find it entrancing. There is a lovely steel guitar solo from Wullie Gamble and some sensitive piano playing from Lander. "Knee Deep at the NPL" describes a fun winter's night out dancing that ends with a couple falling in love. The NPL refers to National Pop League which was a revered music club in Glasgow. Campbell has another evocative vocal on this track which is bolstered by a gentle flute solo from Americo Alhucena. Henderson joins the vocal at the end of the song for a charming polyphonic section. The album concludes with "Lunar Sea" which is a poetic love song. Campbell and Henderson sing this gentle song as a duet. I enjoy McKeeve's rolling guitar riffs throughout the song and the chamber pop sound that makes this track a lovely conclusion for the album. I adore this album, it is one of my favorites of the 2000s. I've listened to it a lot in the past ten years and I still find it intensely engaging and charming. I understand why Camera Obscura moved away from this style as their career progressed, they weren't going to get anywhere sounding so much like Belle and Sebastian. Heck even Belle and Sebastian do not sound this much like Belle and Sebastian anymore. I don't consider it a derivative record though, I think the band absorbed the Belles' distinctive style and gave it their own interpretation. The record is made with intelligence and grace and even though I'm far removed from the youthful perspective that permeates the lyrics, I still find that I relate to it deeply. Some of that can be attributed to the Tracyanne Campbell's voice which makes the words seem more significant and touching than they might be on paper. The musical setting also enhances the lyrics, it invests them with feeling and sensitivity. Carey Lander was a big part of this. I think her keyboards were the heart of the band's musical sound. Much of the beauty of their music comes from the tender and thoughtful expressiveness in her playing. It will be an difficult hole to fill now that she is gone, but I do hope they find a way to carry on. This one is obviously recommended for Belle and Sebastian fans.
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Belle and Sebastian
Matador OLE 944-1
2010
My 100th post! Belle and Sebastian are my favorite group currently extant, probably my favorite group of all time after the Beatles. That love is based on their first two LPs and first 4 EPs. Every record since then has been a disappointment to me even though I liked all of them. However I understand that a group can't just keep making the same record over and over, that creative artists need to grow and explore new sounds. I admire that and must admit that this is a very good record. It is handsomely packaged with the usual monochrome photographs for cover art and a bonus 45 single as well. The album opens with one of the best songs on the record, "I Didn't See It Coming" with Sarah Martin and Stuart Murdoch trading vocals culminating in some lovely multi-part harmonies at the end. The song features quite a bit of synthesizer and some studio sound effects which is kind of unusual for the Belles. It has a strong beat like much of their latter day music and a lot of musical twists and turns making it one of the more compelling tracks on the album. Synths are also predominant on "Come On Sister" which is another bouncy tune. The pace slows down for "Calculating Bimbo." People often stereotype the Belles as twee, romantic softies, but Murdoch definitely has a mean streak as well and has written more than his share of bitter kiss-off songs. This is one of those. It has a disarmingly lovely melody for a song ripping an upwardly mobile ex who is trying to keep him on the hook. "I Want The World To Stop" is my favorite song on the album. It sounds like the early Belles fused with an 80s synthpop band. It has a driving beat and a nice bass line propelling it along and the lyrics recall Murdoch's earlier persona as a befuddled observer of the world going by. Norah Jones is the guest vocalist on "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John" and is the strongest duet partner for Murdoch since Monica Queen on "Lazy Line Painter Jane." Back when Isobel Campbell was still in the group I thought it was funny that the Belles had two female singers and they both sounded exactly the same - delicate, ethereal high voices. Their limited range was suitable for the quieter songs they used to do back then, but as Murdoch has expanded the scope of his songwriting the lack of a strong second vocalist has often been evident in the group's sound. This oddly named song (the title refers to the imaginary boy friends of the woman in the song) displays the soul influence that has become noticeable in the music of the Belles since "Dear Catastrophe Waitress." Side two kicks off with another guest singer in the form of actress Carey Mulligan on "Write About Love." She doesn't have Norah Jones' chops but she sings fine, her voice recalls 1960s pop singers like Billie Davis or Petula Clark. The song has a 1960s flavor but doesn't sound the least bit derivative. I can't think of another contemporary group that has done such a great job of assimilating the style of 1960s pop while still sounding original and unique. The lyrics are classic Murdoch, the protagonist dissatisfied with her job and life, dreams about love. It is a terrific song. The 60s influence continues with "I'm Not Living In the Real World" which reminds me of the sound of mid-1960s The Who. It is yet another Belle and Sebastian song about the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Given that most of the Belles are now in their 40s, you'd think they'd be ready to move on already, but it is certainly a subject they have always had an affinity for. The song is sung and written by guitarist Stevie Jackson. I've never liked his singing but I have to admit his high pitched, slightly strained voice is ideal for conveying the angst and naivete of the teen-aged protagonist of the song. "The Ghost of Rockschool" has a strong religious element to it. Stuart has not been bashful about sharing his faith in his latter-day music but since my own feelings on the subject are more in tune with "If You're Feeling Sinister" I'm not very happy about that. However I give him credit for paying homage to Lawrence of the band Felt and Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy (at least I think that's who "Lawrence and Phil" refer to in the lyrics). "Read The Blessed Pages" is fortunately not about the Bible, but a sweet song about some old love. I assumed it was about Isobel but Murdoch apparently denies that and when I think about it, I'm inclined to believe him given the bitter songs he wrote about her after she left. I read somewhere that Murdoch said he was thinking of his recently deceased father when he wrote it and even though it is about a girl, that makes a lot of sense to me. It is a quiet folky song, very pretty. Sarah Martin sings "I Can See Your Future" which is lushly orchestrated and makes nice use of French horns. It is one of the better songs on the record. The album ends with "Sunday's Pretty Icons" which is another synthpop song with a strong melody. The album's bonus single features "Last Trip" sung by Stevie Jackson and presumably composed by him as well. It is a pleasant but slight song, a throwaway basically which I guess is what you'd expect from a b-side. "Suicide Girl" is another story. It is also a synthpop song with a driving rhythm and surging chorus that I find very energizing. It is a better song than many of the songs on the album with some interesting lyrics - I was puzzled by them at first until I looked up "suicide girls" on the internet and found out that they are punky girls who pose naked on a website of the same name. I really enjoyed this record but I don't like it as much as its predecessor, "The Life Pursuit." I am impressed though that after all these years, the Belles still make such good records and continue to explore new sounds. If I shared his faith I would say that Stuart Murdoch is God's gift to indie rock. Recommended for people who prefer New Order to the Smiths.
