Review of "Belle & Sebastian"

Belle & Sebastian

Rock

Scotland

Scotland's best quiet rockers

A cross between Nick Drake and the Beatles -- fun but interesting pop.

These guys are hard to describe -- they're a seven piece band, but they don't sound like it. Their music is usually fairly sparce, with simple distant-sounding drum tracks, minimalist guitars and pianos, and great subdued vocals. They usually don't let your rump stay in the chair for long. :-)

Folk-y britpop with great lyrics and *very* catchy melodies.

i'd agree with josh for the most part, but i'd have to say that as far as the sparseness goes, it really depends on the album... in some of their earlier stuff it sounds like half the band is out on a smoke break for some tracks, but later stuff (like _boy with the arab strap_) has some very lushly orchestrated tunes. regardless, i LOVE these guys. any album, any EP. you can't go wrong. :D

almost as ironically depressing as Morrissey

Anyone who starts and album with "He had a stroke at the age of 24" is quite attractively disturbing. And wonderful.

ketchy stuff with violent mood swings

depending on what album you get, they can either be depressing or hopeful. i like their hopeful songs. aren't there about 8 people? what's that? an octet? i heard they started out making music as a school project and they got big. i like tigermilk, but i only have that and The Boy with the Arab Strap.

Deceptively simple and beautiful composition

They oddly seem to save their best material for the EPs, and release LPs that fall flat, comparatively. You can't go wrong with any of the EPs, and the later LPs. My personal favorite album of theirs would have to be 'If You're Feeling Sinister'

they are just plain cool.

Scotland's best quiet rockers

I have to add another vote for Belle & Sebastian, especially their first album, "Tigermilk," recently available here in the North America again. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, those crazy Scottish kids, but they wear them so well.

I love their stuff!