Belle And Sebastian: Write About Love

Belle And Sebastian
Write About Love
Matador Records [2010]









Fire Note Says: This is classic B&S!

Album Review:
In music years, Belle And Sebastian have been gone for awhile, so the release of Write About Love had groups of longtime fans expecting some radical style change with the band, especially when the news surfaced, that they did a duet with Norah Jones and had guest vocal help from actress Carey Mulligan. Well, I am happy to report to the faithful, that the addition of these new members does nothing to detract from the fact, that this is a classic sounding 70's pop Belle And Sebastian record, which is still driven by Stuart Murdoch's smooth vocals. The addition of Jones and Mulligan simply meets the current celebrity status of Murdoch but does nothing to hinder the appeal of Write About Love, as both guests do quite well. By relying on Belle And Sebastian's past strengths, this record has plenty of sophisticated melodies and complex arrangements, that make Write About Love memorable around every corner, while Murdoch's songwriting remains completely compelling. I don't think that on initial listen, Write About Love sinks in but the second time you hear the upbeat pop in "I Want The World To Stop" or the third time you digest the opening track "I Didn't See It Coming", because it just gets bigger and bigger, this album really gets its hooks in you and is hard to dismiss. Write About Love may not be the best work Belle And Sebastian have ever released but it plays to their core competencies and will easily remind you of why you liked them in the first place!

Key Tracks: "I Want The World To Stop", "Come On Sister", "I'm Not Living In The Real World"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Magnetic Fields
Kings Of Convenience
Angus And Julia Stone

Belle And Sebastian Website
Belle And Sebastian MySpace
Belle And Sebastian Facebook
Matador Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony