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Belle and Sebastion
You would think that a band that recorded its first album as a part of a college music business course would be pretty media savvy. You would think that they would know the value of such things as touring, doing interviews and all those other things that bands do to get their product sold. But they rarely give interviews, tour infrequently, don’t list members’ names or songwriting credits on their discs, and don’t appear on their CD’s. They were probably told not to use a copywritten name for their group, as well. (Belle et Sebastian is the title of a children’s book by Mme. Cecil Aubry, who kindly lets the band use the name).
In the four years since the band released 1,000 vinyl LP’s of their school project, titled Tigermilk (released on CD in the US in 1999), Belle and Sebastian have done things their own way. Their enigmatic approach to pop music has made them a top-selling group in the UK. Their popularity is just beginning to break the surface in America. In addition to the beat the boots reissue of Tigermilk, Matador recently issued the Lazy Line Painter Jane box set, a collection made up of the discs Belle and Sebastian issued between the release of Tigermilk and their second disc, If You’re Feeling Sinister. Also released in 2000 was the brand new, fourth Belle and Sebastian disc, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant.
Belle and Sebastian’s old music business professor would definitely approve of the Tigermilk reissue; it makes prefect sense to capture the revenue stream that bootleggers were siphoning off. I’m not so sure the old prof would be so keen on the Lazy Line Painter Jane set. Sure, it’s a nifty looking package - each of the 1997 EP’s are reproduced with their original packaging. From a purely commodities-oriented perspective, the three CD set isn’t the most practical way to go. You could easily fit all of the music onto one disc; save a bit on materials and maybe sell a few more copies.
The music makes the case for preserving the integrity of the EP’s. Each disc is a unique experiment by a young band in the process of defining their modus operandi. The band plays with styles in a more obvious way than on their full-length releases. The songs on 3, 6, 9 Seconds of Light show a strong affinity for Stewart Moxham and the Young Marble Giants. ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane’, from the disc of the same name, plays with the sound of Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra. You can hear some proto-Looper activity on Stuart David’s monologue, ‘A Century of Elvis’. Dog on Wheels comes closest to the sound of later discs with great tunes like ‘The State I Am In’ and ‘Belle & Sebastian’. Some fans contend that these EP’s are the best thing Belle and Sebastian have ever done. I see them more as really neat sketch pads from a band trying out different sounds while deciding what really works for them.
Now what would Belle and Sebastian’s old professor make of Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant? Well, he or she might say that the title is too long and obscure (but they might have seen the last Fiona Apple and realize things could be a lot worse). They might also feel compelled to remind the band that you’re supposed to put your strongest song first. It’s not that ‘I fought in a War’ isn’t a strong song. It is a very moving account of a lad in the trenches deluding himself that he still has a girl waiting for him at home. What makes it an odd choice for lead off track is that Stuart Murdoch gets through most of the first verse before the band kicks in. The lonely and forlorn voice establishes the emotional tone of the piece quickly, but doesn’t have hit single written all over it.
Critics of the band have tried to dismiss them as Nick Drake jamming with Van Morrison, with Morrissey standing in the wings. That’s not a bad characterization of the Belle and Sebastian sound, really; Stuart Murdoch has a smoky voice superficially similar to Drake’s. Both musicians write moody, often rather dark songs that are swathed in lush arrangements. Lamenting that Nick Drake should be producing hits instead of Belle and Sebastian is a moot point. Nick Drake has been dead since 1973. If anything, the superficial similarities might lead a new generation to the tragic folk singer’s recordings. (Just listen for his song ‘Pink Moon’ in the Volkswagen commercial if you want to hear some Nick before shelling out for the discs).
Belle and Sebastian are far more than Stuart Murdoch’s backing band. The collective is a self-contained pop orchestra including horn and string players. Stuart is the main vocalist, but Isobel Champbell lends her winsome vocals to several tunes, and recently departed bassist Stuart David injected the occasional narrative voice. Also rising above the standard pop music fray are the sometimes convoluted short stories that enliven many a lyric. Instead of a simple boy-meets-girl song, ‘The Model’ introduces us to an entire neighborhood (including the “Girl next door who’s famous for showing her chest”).
As mentioned earlier, bassist Stuart David left the Belle and Sebastian fold around the time Fold Your Hands... was released. For the past year or so, David has been involved with another collective called Looper. Looper started as a collaboration between Stuart, his brother Ronnie and wife Karn. Early shows were multi-media events held in galleries. As the name suggests, the music that accompanied these projects were built up from samples and tape loops. Their debut disc, Up a Tree, featured sometimes amusing, sometimes introspective narratives over hip-hop inspired rhythm tracks. Some of these stories are truly inspired. ‘Impossible Things’ is essentially the true story of how Karn and Stuart spent seven years as pen pals before they ever met. I think ‘Columbo’s Car’ would make a great movie of the week, with the famously disheveled detective tracking down illegal sampling in Glasgow.
Geometrid is the first disc by Looper, the full time band. The bulk of the disc was written while on tour in the US last year. Stuart’s monologues have been converted to more conventional song, although they are still often based on things the group has seen or observed. ‘Uncle Ray’ is based on a conversation overheard at a seaside restaurant. ‘Bug Rain’ was written after encountering frogs covering a lonely road. The overall sound is more professional. The dance grooves are more focused and the loopier elements toned down. It will be interesting to see where Looper goes from here.
Speaking of next year, early word has it that Belle and Sebastian have agreed to leave their Scottish homeland for some extensive touring. This will definitely please their legions of fans and their old business school professors.
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