Scotland - Full Moon 173 - 10/23/10
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Rough Trade / Playground
It's been some years since I wrote about the Scottish indie-darlings Belle & Sebastian. Belle and Sebastian Write About Love is their third album for Rough Trade, following Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003) and their big breakthrough The Life Pursuit (2006), and their 7th album altogether (8th if counting the Storytelling) score.
Stuart Murdoch and co still write about love, and they still make rather mild and fragile pop music. Murdoch is the main song-writer, but Sarah Martin's got two songs on the album, and Stevie Jackson's got one song. Among the guests is Norah Jones, and, well, yes, this isn't about rock or roll, simply barefooted, low-voiced indie-pop. And, I'm not quite sure what to say. Maybe I was hoping for something else, a bit more tip-toe and punchy stuff. I simply find the songs on this record too pale and weak.
Am I too cold and senseless? Maybe we grew apart, B & S.
Copyright © 2010 Håvard Oppøyen
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