REVIEWS - Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Matador)

I’m fairly certain Belle and Sebastian can travel through time. They have joined the ranks of such geniuses as Dr. Emmett Brown, Jules Verne’s protagonist, and whoever Paul Walker played in that “Timeline” movie. Except, without the power of something like the flux capacitor, their wacky temporal hijinx are limited to the mid-to-late 1960s. It works out to their favor though, given their propensity for Archies-worship.
In a “recovery” of sorts from their last album, “Dear Catastrophe Waitress,” these kids from Glasgow have learned a lesson or two from any mistakes. On “Waitress”, B&S raised the bar on their production values from their fey, paper-thin roots by enlisting Mr. Trevor Horn. Why they picked Mr. Horn remains a mystery to me, considering his list of credits include the musicalgems of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and faux-lesbian Russian duo Tatu. Despite being a fairly standard pop album, “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” let Belle and Sebastian branch out a bit from their tried-and-true bubblegum pop leanings. And while it may not have been a huge success, it was good practice for the album that was to follow.

The Life Pursuit is a return to form. Sure, it’s less diverse than its predecessor, but the production values are still there. Instead of sounding thin and tiny, TLP is more energetic than anything songwriter Stuart Murdoch and company has taped thus far. Going back to the well of symphonic, vaguely-psychedelic 60s pop, B&S bring a collection of bouncy tunes that are unlike earlier efforts (as noted by Jack Black) of “sad bastard music”. Songs like “Funny Little Frog” and “White Collar Boy” may still be about cute girls and less-than-ideal relationships, but now they involve a collection of wah-wah pedals and chirpy background vocals that are far less melancholy than their early albums.

Unfortunately, The Life Pursuit isn’t the greatest thing these Scots have ever done. When you have albums like “Tigermilk” and “If You’re Feeling Sinister” in your catalog, you may never regain those levels of perfection. On top of that, the songs form a really good album, but taken individually, they don’t seem to stand out as much as past releases have.

In the end, this album probably won’t change anyone’s mind. If you hate Belle and Sebastian, you’ll still hate them. If you love them, you’ll love this album. But, as mentioned, it won’t be your favorite. However, the morose-pop of previous releases which may have scared (or bored) people off is gone, and what’s left is a very vibrant collection of songs, perfect for such activities as flying kites while wearing a nice scarf, or riding bikes to ice cream stands, or other such un-hip activities we cute-pop devotees enjoy engaging in.

– Kyle Olson