The Wake

With the recent release of their seventh album The Life Pursuit, I truly believe Belle & Sebastian’s cockteasing days are over. At first, the trademark precociousness of Scotland’s quirky retro-folk outfit managed to redeem the string of half-good albums they’ve recently released. They were let off the hook for being harmlessly endearing—who could help themselves?

After a while, Belle & Sebastian’s cheeky nonsensicalities became less adorable and more difficult to stomach. It was as if they abandoned any sort of focus and just settled on being difficult. Their second most recent album of original songs, Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003), was a bit of sexy fun here and there, but mostly played out scattered and confused.

Luckily, The Life Pursuit, their sixth album on Matador Records, is an absolute gem and all at once fresh and familiar. It even has, as the title suggests, an overall theme centering on the choice between absolution or abandonment in life, love and faith. As always, Belle & Sebastian tackle such complexities with contrastingly lighthearted tunes, but this time around open their sound up to glam rock, twang country and even Motown. Hell, there are even a few well-placed guitar solos.

The biggest surprise of The Life Pursuit is Belle & Sebastian’s newfound attitude. Frontman Stuart Murdoch still projects a hint of bookish, awkward uncertainty towards just about everything, but is somehow a bit more confident in approaching it. His voice is perfectly comfortable soaring over delicate harmonies or sneering with T. Rex-esque brashness. There is even a certain swagger to the lyrics. In “Dress Up In You,” a cute kiss-off set against a plunking piano riff and sweeping trumpets, Murdoch ditches his shyness and proclaims of plans to “blow in the face of my rivals.”

With the help of producer Tony Hoffer (who brought out the funk in Beck, Air, and Supergrass), Belle & Sebastian have created some of their catchiest, brightest melodies yet. Sassy organ riffs, jangling guitars, stark beats, and handclaps complete the rest of the album. Songs like “Sukie In The Graveyard” and “Funny Little Frog” are especially begging for asses to be shaken.

Overall, The Life Pursuit is a grab bag of perfect pop ballads, allowing Belle & Sebastian to flirt with maturity but hold onto that original charm they thankfully still have the recipe for.