Belle and Sebastian tut

How many people have at least heard of Belle and Sebastian?

I chose Belle and Sebastian because my friend is a fan of them, however I didn’t know much about them at all. “Step Into My Office Baby” from their album Dear Catastrophe Waitress was and still is my favourite of their songs and it’s probably the song that you’ll know if any. I like the construction of the instruments in the song. The trumpet line, drum beat and tempo in the song as it is catchy and up beat while the lyrics are witty and also catchy along with the soft harmonies which give it the 60’s pop feel which the look of the music clip complements. The 60’s harmony of the song has been likened to the Beach Boys.

Belle and Sebastian (B&S) is a seven-piece indie rock band from Glasgow in Scotland. Their music has been described as easy listening, folk-rock, 60’s pop, Twee and chamber pop. The band formed in 1996 as a university project, self-releasing their first album, Tigermilk, which took them to number thirteen on the British charts making them a sensation largely by word of mouth. Eight albums, “Best newcomers” award at 1999 BRIT Awards, a cult following and much critical acclaim have made B&S where they are today.

Thinking the band would be a short-lived university project, after releasing their first two albums, Tigermilk and If You’re feeling Sinister, the word spread throughout England and the UK with much critical acclaim from music magazines and newspapers. This started a cult following for the indie band. What make the band different are their clever lyrics. They are simple yet witty covering topics from faith, war and romance to sexual metaphors, graveyards and waitresses. The band has encompassed a diverse range of instruments in their music including trumpets, violins and a cello, giving them a unique, creative, assorted sound, which has them likened to the British rock band Felt who also uses an assortment of instruments. Since their first album B&S have seen a change in their music as they have matured and grown.

If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996) their second album, boosted the bands popularity and is an example of their earlier work. .” This early album sees B&S resolving onto their own style yet still a little amateur. The sound of this album is easy listening, consisting of simple arrangements yet intelligent structure, incorporating a range of musical instruments. The lyrics and melody are worth mentioning, as they underscore the album being quite witty. One review on epinions described the album as having “Amazing lyrics, melody, musicianship and vocals. A flawless performance.” Some of the songs seem to be too simple or stark and maybe a little boring, not standing out in the audiences mind, yet the great lyrics and use of instruments make the album richer. B&S have been thought of as pretentious due to their intelligent and witty lyrics. The trademark use of diverse instruments is shown in the song “The Fox in the Snow” where it starts small with Murdochs almost weak voice and piano, adding more and more instruments, guitar, drums, violin, harmony into the song until it is built up into a masterpiece. The lyrics are also an example of the greatness of B&S. The sound of If You’re Feeling Sinister shows the genre of twee pop, although the band doesn’t like this label, being simple, sweet and jangling.

Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003) see B&S move a bit away from the term indie/twee and step into orchestral pop, however, a lot of the songs on Waitress are still trademark B&S indie sounds. This album saw a more polished sound in their music, and Murdochs sound, due to producer Trever Horn coming on board. Once again Murdochs lyrics and melody compliment the album as shown in the opening song “Step Into My Office, Baby” with its witty metaphorical lyrics. Dear Catastrophe Waitress’s lyrics are more personal touching themes on war, faith and losing band member Isobel Campbell. With a new producer and wider public praise B&S started to appear in the press more as well as more interviews and pictures of the band being released. Previously, the band not wanting to conform to the commercial side of stardom. The sound of this album has been more likened to 60’s pop and the Beach Boys. “You Don’t Send Me” has been likened to such 60’s pop classics. It shows the new polished, produced sound of B&S. This is shown through the vocals and use of instruments. The arrangement of the song refined and graceful with the use of the trumpet, glockenspiel and percussion complimented by the quality vocals.

Their most recent album Life Pursuit (2006) has seen them change musically as well as staying true to their earlier ideas. As Gareth Dobson puts it “Musically, the Scots have moved away from their trademark twee, pared-down south to a lush orchestrated West Coast summery affair.” They have matured considerably since their earlier albums such as If You’re Feeling Sinister. As Time Out reviewer, Sophie Harris, puts it “the change in sound is not so much a turn-around as a transformation, like that of a caterpillar to a butterfly, the essence remains the same.” Life Pursuit stays true to B&S’s clever yet bizarre lyrics with a change in the arrangements. The folk sound of B&S isn’t as strong as previous albums, leaning more towards 60’s and 70’s pop/glam. The songs are catchier, upbeat and poppy compared to their earlier music, which was at times uninteresting or unmemorable. As critic Ian Joliet has said about the previous album Dear Catastrophe Waitress, “the overall result is certainly more polished but while tunes like ‘Asleep on a Sunbeam’ drift by pleasantly, they fail to snag they memory.” With Life Pursuit the songs carry more of a beat and popular melody. Still likened to indie bands The Smiths and Felt and also 1960’s folk band Simon and Garfunkel. “White Collar Boy”, probably the most popular song on the album, shows this upbeat, pop sound mixed with traditional B&S wacky lyrics, popular harmony and melody. The later two records explore bizarre themes of… as well as delving more into the faith of Stuart and the band, for example “The Act of the Apostle” on Life Pursuit.

The band seems to get inspiration from previous bands style from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. As Murdoch has said about his inspirations “I think more and more that I’m a throwback, and that the band is a throwback. I think it’s interesting how the stylings of the ’60s and ’70s and even the ’80s can kind of set you off, how you mourn the passing of each decade and all the things that just aren’t done these days.” Bands from 1960’s Beach Boys, with their pop harmonies, to folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel. British 80’s alternative rock bands The Smiths and Felt have often been likened to B&S. The Smiths witty, unusual and controversial lyrics in the same way B&S’s lyrics are different and clever, and Felt’s intense use of musical instruments. As the NY Observer has said of the bands influences “Mr Murdoch has a way of pushing past his influences and coming out with something disarmingly original and organic.”

B&S’s music isn’t probably the kind of music everyone would love, maybe because it’s not heavy enough. This is what I like about their music, it is easy listening, happy sounding music yet the themes of the lyrics are clever in the way they use metaphors and deeper themes that are only noticed by really listening to them. If you like indie, chamber, twee or British Pop give B&S a go at least.