If You're Feeling Sinister

The first blind listen for me. I've heard the name, but never any music from Belle & Sebastian. A little research has informed me that this band contains neither a Belle nor a Sebastian. Instead, it was formed by two Scottish guys named Stuart. False advertisement aside, this is a decent project. It opens strong, then settles into an even keel that mostly faded into the background for me. On that note, it would probably be a great "staring out the window on a roadtrip" album. I think I've heard the title track before, but I can't remember where. I will give credit for the production because all the instruments sound so crisp and clear. But even when the instrumentation picked up on certain songs (like Mayfly!), the vocals remained subdued and almost comatose. They finally pick up a bit in the closing track, but too little too late. I'm sure this is one of those albums that I would've appreciated more when it was released, but 25 years later, there have been plenty of other artists and bands with more engaging work in the alternative/indie spheres. It's alright, and it certainly sounds nice, but I didn't get much out of it. Maybe I'm not feeling sinister enough. Favorite tracks: The Stars of Track and Field, If You're Feeling Sinister, Mayfly. Album cover: a woman who seems to be pondering Kafka's novel about bureaucratic pitfalls and hijinks. I like the picture, but I don't think I can deduce the significance. Does The Trial actually relate to the album? Who knows. And again, seeing a woman on the cover reminds me that this is a band of Stuarts, and we did not get any vocals from the eponymous Belle (who for legal purposes does not exist). 3/5

Another classic indie record, I'm sure it's bound to be misunderstood. Not nearly as twee as its reputation might sometimes suggest, the songwriting is robust and clever, the playing dynamic enough that the soft sections are as impactful as the loud parts. A record seemingly unconcerned with appearing cool or having a hit single, it's 10 great, confident songs - makes for a successful record.

I found this album so boring, and that boredom transformed into irritation. It’s hard to explain. I just couldn’t stand it. I realize that this is objectively pleasant music so feel free to disagree but this was one of my least faves 1/5 sorry jare ❤️

If this was anymore middle of the road there'd be white lines down the middle of the album. Having said that, the storytelling is decent and the melodies are occasionally quite catchy. The full orchestra adds something and makes it a little less boring. His voice is shit though and that has always annoyed me. Hipstery friends can never understand why I don't like these. Its because they are fundamentally dull. 2/5

I got a lot of a lot of Nick Drake vibes from this one. I can also see how they influenced the diy indie scene as well. Very well written and unusual songs with a thoughtful arrangement and instrumentation

I had so many friends who were into this back in the day. I didn't get it then and I don't get it now. Proto-emo, cutsie-tootsie, shoegaze bullshit. The only reason this got 2 stars is because the production quality is excellent.

Absolutely brilliant, and one of my favourite indie rock albums of the 1990's. Just a few minutes into the album's fantastic opener, 'The Stars of Track & Field', you know you're in for something special. The rich, engaging lyrics, the gentle acoustic guitar tracks, the surprising but perfectly placed trumpet solo, and the extended crescendo to close out - so good, and yet the album is only getting started. Every song on here is skillfully composed and so enjoyable.

I really love this album. It has a warm, indie feel that creates a peaceful and whimsical atmosphere. The melodies are beautiful, reminiscent of Nick Drake, but with a surprisingly modern feeling. The vocal delivery is smooth and satisfying, the lyrics are fun and interesting, the musical performance is breath-taking. Before today, I haven't even heard of this band, but now I am definitely going to be going back to this album. These songs have such satisfying progression, it honestly gave me goosebumps. As far as new albums go, this is my favorite I've heard in a long time. Favorite track: If you're feeling sinister Least Favorite track: Mayfly

Mediocre at best

So, so bland, empty. This is why nobody likes hipsters.

I hate to say it but this album gave me sexual predator vibes Music: pleasant. Lyrics: 🚩 Sinister indeed 2 ⭐️

Sounds a lot like the guy from your neighborhood who wrote a bunch of slightly dorky songs to impress the girl in the drama club. It’s not horrible, nothing great, but I’m sure she liked it.

well, i finally found it… the cure to my insomnia. this album bored me to sleep. good night.

I farted on this LP

I've never listened to a Belle & Sebastian album before and this was exactly what I expected it to sound like. A couple of good songs but nothing to get the ears twitching. My big take away was wondering if the boy who done wrong again was the same boy who had the Arab strap.

1/5 Couldn’t wait for this one to end. It’s like the worst Indy bookstore soundtrack ever.

Basic and boring. Didn’t even realise I had it on until it finished. 1/5

In 16 months, Belle and Sebastian released the equivalent of three full albums worth of material – Tigermilk, Sinister, and the three EPs that followed. How on earth can you do that and there barely be a bum note in any of them? As your first releases? This isn't "difficult second album" territory at all. I'm not sure what was in the water in Glasgow, but Stuart Murdoch was on a rich vein for a while there. And followed it up with another two albums and another EP within the next couple of years. B&S are probably my favourite band, and Sinister is probably their most consistent album, certainly until The Life Pursuit. Personally I prefer Tigermilk and have a soft sport for Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, bt this doesn't stop this being a pretty darned good album with songs on it that I want to keep on coming back to. Lyrics as always full of whimsy: nice to see Rediffusion joining C&A and M&S, and quite what Hillary was up to I'm not entirely certain. I get why people may not like them, but for me they're full of joy. So, I didn't have to download this because it was already there. I listened four times on my commute – perfect length album here as well btw – and then stuck the vinyl copy on later in the day to dance around the living room to like no one was watching (they weren't). Obviously it's an album I love, so five stars is a given. But it's also massively influential and full of great stuff. It is astonishing quite how much really good stuff they produced in such a short time.

It was an era of second-hand sweaters and Buddy Holly eye wear, when irony was an accessory of every undergraduate poet/cinephile who wanted a Godardian existence of post-Marxist critique and guerrilla filmmaking with plaid skirted quietly rebellious girls with bangs and cardigans. It could have been the 1960s, or C-1986, or 1996 in Scotland when a bus-driver continued the low fidelity scruffy pop tradition of Television Personalities. Instead of stalking the reclusive Syd Barrett, Stuart Murdoch wrote about the bookish adolescent desire to kiss "for practice." Effete, twee, melancholic, catchy, clever in a, there is a vintage Kafka paperback on the album cover, quasi-bohemian art school elitist fashion. It is an essential album for Wes Anderson fans of nostalgic art school fever dreams of queer baiting poetry, sensitive aesthetes with wry affections, quirky teenage rebels who dream of horses and foxes in the snow.

Banger. Great production and progression, melodies and lyrics are super nice. The Scottish Neutral Milk Hotel but with Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Their second album is where the group hit their stride. Great lyrics and perfect instrumentation. Indie rock at it's best. Best Tracks: Seeing Other People; Me and the Major; Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying;

Amazing! Never even heard of the artist before, this was such a nice surprise. Real nice to chill to.

This list makes me face my demons. B&S, how I’ve swerved around, fled and cowered from you without even knowing why. I suspect my fear was of what I perceived to be softness, which I grasped you rejoiced in. Weird isn’t it. That’s not a question. This is very good and I haven’t had enough time with it. There’s a play between folk, rock, dissonance and storytelling that feels both fresh and archetype-making. Soft? ‘Me and the Major’ is not soft: it’s pretty bleak! Same for most of the rest. Hard to judge greatness on a single playthrough, but that’s all I have. Going for a likely conservative 4. Now back to playing “Two Nuns and a a Pack Mule” really loud!

On sent vraiment toute l'influence de la pop de chambre sur cet album, notamment le moment ou Belle s'installe confortablement dans son lit, posant delicatement sa tête sur son oreiller pendant que Sebastian colle des posters de ses boys band favoris sur les murs.

Not the worst, but this singing style is a bit annoying after a while.

I think I hated this

Boring

This starts out pleasant enough and by the middle of the album, I'm exhausted. Not sure how to explain it — the melodies and dense lyrical content add up to brain fatigue (the opposite of relaxing). It's a lovely cup of tea, it's just not mine.

Convoluted, the contrived lyrics and monotonous delivery just don't come together—a lackluster performance.

A masterwork

What a lovely bit of BS! Have listened to one of their songs before but never really delved any further. I will do now. Simpsons: Yes, and they got a shoutout in a Gilmore Girls episode I watched yesterday

Perhaps the quintessential album in their discography, Belle & Sebastian perfect their brand of witty, rather quirky aesthetic that still pierces the listener with rather delightful ease. A really thorough overview of who they are and how they worked from beginning to end, If You're Feeling Sinister not only sounds familiar but it feels new all the same; a world that makes you feel that you've already traversed whilst seeing new sights. A brilliant showcase.

One of those albums where every song has been my favorite at some point. I remember how magical it seemed hearing this quite early on before anyone really knew who they were, like stumbling upon a forgotten classic from another time. I don't think they made another record nearly as good, although they all have their moments. This one is perfect. Mark - tell me how wrong I am!

Finally something really nice. The person who wrote this list knows nothing about music, toooooo American, for sure this person has no idea of music in other countries and regions. Only one culture vision, boring.

Love love love it. Simply beautiful

mellow and pretty

I have a lot to say about this album but am very tired. Belle and Sebastian are fucking wonderful and revisiting this one was a delight, I absolutely love the production on the songs, the piano and violin instrumentals on the tracks were wonderful. also his voice is five stars alone

Sounds like the Decemberists filtered through Nick Drake. For 1996 I think this album is impressive; I'd have guessed it was from a little later (that's probably due to its own influence in the early 2000s). Highlight pick: "Like Dylan in the Movies."

I know this is the most basic of 90s indie alternative but this stuff is fire, sue me.

I studied English literature at a British university in the late 1990s – they might as well have handed out Belle & Sebastian CDs with our degree certificates. Luckily, I'm ok with being a twee indie cliche.

Pleasant tunes on a sunny day.

I liked it.

This was one of the first bands my younger brother introduced me to when he started developing his own musical taste. Suddenly, the kid who barely cared about anything beyond mainstream hits became my gateway to twee pop and indie gems. I was impressed, but I'll admit, slightly threatened by this new contender in the household. Up until recently, I thought I "had" the album on MP3, but with hindsight, I realize the tracklisting was all wrong, with random songs from their debut and later releases mixed in—probably mis-tagged. Still, Belle and Sebastian’s sound stood out: soft, jangly guitars, whispered vocals, and lush, melancholic arrangements. Their music felt intimate, like overhearing someone’s secret thoughts. Tracks like “The Stars of Track and Field,” “Like Dylan in the Movies,” and “Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying” stand out for their bittersweet storytelling and understated instrumentation. While the album may seem subdued at first, it's full of unexpected chord changes and subtle instrumental touches that keep you hooked. Stuart Murdoch's knack for taking melodies in surprising directions is a masterclass in restraint and creativity. The title track, “If You’re Feeling Sinister,” is a great example, sounding especially haunting with its reflections on faith and doubt. Released in the mid-90s, at a time when guitar music was dominated by grunge and Britpop, this album feels like an anomaly. Yet, its quiet brilliance laid the groundwork for future indie giants like Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, and The Decemberists. Did/Do I own this release? I thought I "owned" it on MP3. Does this release belong on the list? Unpretentious and sweet, yet massively influential. It deserves its spot. Would this release make my personal list? It's a great shout, but I'd be tempted to pick the follow-up The Boy With the Arab Strap instead. Will I be listening to it again? Of course.

Shit, that was some good shit.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I anticipated. Going off album cover alone, it looks like some whiny brit pop shit we’ve heard too many times at this point. What we actually get is a fun and semi-original album that’s reasonably unique. I have no great praises for this thing, but I have no complaints either. It had emotion and heart to it, so that’s worth something. 4/5

Fantastic showing, I'd never even heard of them and really enjoyed the album

I really liked Tigermilk and I really like this record, but I have the feeling that the farther I go in their discography, I might start getting bored. Not because I think the music will be bad, just that I can see them settling into their sound and…eventually the law of diminishing returns will kick in, you know what I mean? As it stands, though, I’m more than content to keep playing this record and Tigermilk over and over. They are *great* records.

Gentle is the word that comes to mind. It was a pleasant listen though it fell into background music as the album went on. I would have loved this at an earlier point in life, not my pick these days but still good overall. I feel like Ben Gibbard loves this band.

The funny thing about digging into B&S at this point in life is the songs kind of lose the element of surprise, because it sounds similar to a ton of more modern bands that I've been listening to for a decade (Decemberists, Shins, Death Cab, etc). But I have to remind myself that these groups built their sound off of the blueprint B&S laid out well before. The songs here are fantastic: some of the tightest songwriting and performance are consistent throughout the entire record. Tracks will feature little details and flourishes that keep things lively, like the clips of children playing in the title track or the light keyboards and sax in the following track "Mayfly." It's an album that sounds as effortless as a breeze, as if they came into being as they were being performed.

It's lovely. I appreciate the unfettered authenticity and wistfulness. The melodramatic "Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying" is a song that will always have a special place in my heart.

A very gentle indie classic

Un très joli album qui raconte l'histoire de Sébastien, un enfant solitaire et d'un chien sauvage. Il l'apprivoise et lui donne le nom Belle. Ensemble, ils essaient de déjouer un plan nazi pour capturer des résistants français.

Imagine my surprise when I learned Belle & Sebastian was not a duo consisting of Belle and Sebastian. Great album. Really reminiscent of that early indie sound like Neutral Milk Hotel (but less weird). Really solid album. Saved this one for a rainy day and happy I did.

Fine. All around fine. Rock my world, it did not.

I enjoyed this one alright. Late 90's kinda chill acoustic hipstery sound.

Ok, not essential

This one didn't grab me

I've never been a fan of Belle and Sebastian and tbh I just find them twee and quite grating. This was no different

Awsome

Oh wow, this is absolutely stunning. I want to spend so much more time living in the world created by this album. Faves: The Stars of Track and Field, Seeing Other People, If You're Feeling Sinister

One of my favourite albums from my years in Santander. It's a great pop album. There are two songs that are not absolutely great, and are just fine. 5/5.

Great album

I can’t imagine being able to write this many great songs in a lifetime.

This is insane. I love indie music. I'm fucking Scottish. How have I never listened to Belle and Sebastian!? This absolutely slaps.

Always feels good to draw a favorite.

Great piece of British pop

un clásico

Deep themes, great songwriting, great guitar What else can you ask for?

Well, well, well. This day has arrived. I was both excited and disappointed when it appeared because each time I rate my previous album I wonder if this is going to show up and now that will no longer be part of my ritual. This is hands down, by far, my favorite album ever recorded. It is a work of pure, raw genius. Knowing the history of its development, it was the result of a confluence of incredible, random, and wonderful coincidences. If you have read this far, go to youtube and search "Pitchfork If You're Feeling Sinister." it is an incredible one hour documentary about the making of this album and if you don't come away loving this band, well, you may need to reevaluate your humanity. The world needs more Belle and Sebastian fans.

An all timer

Me ha encantado, tanto que me lo he guardado para comprarme el vinilo. No se si el clima increíble que está haciendo hoy en Alicante es el culpable, pero me parece un disco con un aura super alegre a pesar de los temas que trata.

I love this album; it's so beautiful and subtly haunting, yet simultaneously cozy and comforting. But I guess it's comforting in the same way that being stranded in a small, warm cabin in a raging blizzard is comforting. There's nothing really comfortable about that situation, aside from the way you'd feel in the present moment. I feel the same way listening to this album; it's more sheltering in that way - I mean, listen to the lyrics of the title track, it's honestly kinda depressing I find. Either way, many of the songs here I've been revisiting for years. 'Like Dylan In The Movies' has maybe my favorite introduction on the album - such a slick bass and drum groove with some light acoustic strumming that still holds that subtlety and softness that's a staple in B&S' music. 'The Fox In The Snow' has maybe the most gorgeous outro on the entire record - I love that little moment in the end with the back-and-forth vocals and what I can never tell is a string or a horn. All the instrumentals and playing on this album are top-notch - I'd say it rivals albums like 'The Queen Is Dead' in just how varied and colourfully produced and arranged it all is, without ever feeling overwhelming. My favorite song, which has always resonated with me the most, is 'Me And The Major'. Maybe I'm a bit too old to relate to it now, but it's a pretty on-the-nose song with lyrics that still ring true generations later. It's also ridiculously catchy and the most upbeat thing here. 'Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying' also stuck with me back when I first heard this - a song that seems to be about someone talking, or singing, about life from his unfiltered point of view - in a way, the protagonist is sick of the way reality around him is plastered in so much false optimism. Every song on this album kicks ass, such a uniquely colorful album, with some of the greatest writing you can find in a '90s folk rock album. Phenomenal.

"A strong album... i hear influences like The Kinks and Nick Drake... "Stars of Track and Field" open it up nicely... and... they don't look back... like... "Dylan in the Movies" lol... clever... this album is a collection of really good pop songs... with clever lyrics, and a charming vocal delivery by the front man... Stuart Murdoch... who, i think, likes to feign sexual fluidity... as he's totally hetero, and a father... anyway... he's almost as old as me... and i can hear the influences in his alternative sound, as opposed to some other alternative acts that don't have that influence... every song on this record is strong... and, if played ad infinitum like a lot of the records of the sixties and seventies, would get five stars... but, i'll give it Four... and... i'll throw in an extra star for any album that has trumpet playing a major part... ok... FIVE STARS..."

This was just sooo nice to listen to. Fox in the Snow and The Boy Done Wrong Again made me cry on a mountain pass. I love the ways the songs build into beautiful crescendos of harmonicas, strings, horns. Faith in 1001albumsgenerator restored 🙏

I got so emotional seeing this as the album of the day! I loved this album so much and it’s such a time capsule for me. I listened to this constantly my senior year of high school, especially developing photos in my high school darkroom. This album smells like darkroom chemicals and feels like unrequited teenage love! My favorites remain Stars of Track of Field, Get Me Away from Here, and my ultimate favorite, Judy and the Dream of Horses. God I love that song! But really this whole album just speaks to me and all my feelings at a very particular point in time AND holds up!

One of my favorite albums

Følsom indie klassiker! Jeg har nok hørt den her plade 100 gange og elsker den som få andre plader. Glad for at den er her og det ikke kun er Tigermilk som også er god men er lidt meh i forhold til.

to make good indie rock/indie pop, you have to be believably honest. This does that perfectly to me. Feels super nice and cozy. Great listen before bed. 98/100

I love Belle and Sebastian. Their songs sound so sweet and earnest, but there is often a really dark, sometimes anti-organized religion, twist in their songs. I love the subversiveness of it. Maybe in a word, it's "sinister!" Liked Songs Added: The Stars Of Track And Field Like Dylan In The Movies Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying Mayfly The Boy Done Wrong Again Judy And The Dream Of Horses

I used to listen to Belle & Sebastian albums all the time. Listening to this one now reminds me that I miss them.

• 5/5 • Indie chamber-pop at its best. The album is stacked front to back with great singles, and holds together sonically and thematically without feeling monotonous. • Such stripped down production

You know what they say; sometimes it takes a second go at something to really get it. Case in point, Belle and Sebastian! I liked Tigermilk well enough when I listened to it in June 2024. Certainly not bad in the slightest, but it didn't really speak to me that much personally. It was a solid debut album and not much more than that. I don't really think it needs to be on the list, but that's not because of its own quality. Rather, I think Tigermilk's inclusion is unnecessary because of it being outclassed by its followup, If You're Feeling Sinister. This album is fantastic. I love this so much. It has the things that worked on Tigermilk, but there's something here that just feels more special. Maybe it's just that the songs are better. I don't know. The songs here are all great. There's not a weak one in the bunch. "The Stars of Track and Field" is a great opener. I really like the vibes of "Like Dylan in the Movies." It's got the soft acoustic feel of the whole album, but it's got this quicker movement to it that I think is pretty cool. The album's highlight for me is "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying," which is one of those songs that just feels like it's been around forever even though I'd never heard it before and it was only written in 1996. Amazing song. The singing is pleasant. Stuart Murdoch is proof that Scottish accents can sound great in singing. The instrumentation is great. It's soft, but it has a bit of energy to it. The album definitely gives off Nick Drake vibes, which is great because I love Nick Drake's music a lot. I've got to say, I'm impressed. I might even go back to Tigermilk to see if it appeals to me more now! Light 5/5.

Oh the things I've felt to this record. All separate character portraits of vastly different people struggling with depression, religion, and sexuality and not one of these stories feels underwritten. Murdoch and co. understand what it feels like to feel insignificant and to long for something you don't deserve. More importantly, they understand how much life there actually is to an unlived life. It's so intimate it feels as if these songs were ripped out of the diaries of teenagers. The Fox in the Snow may be one of the record's most cryptic songs but it fucking shatters my heart.

Excellent

How had I not heard this before?!

9/10. could see this becoming a fav for me. best album I've first listened to from this

So good! Get me away from here I'm dying is elite

very nioce

I've only heard their 90s albums but this one is definitely my favorite. So influential on a genre I don't enjoy which makes the fact that I do enjoy this one all the more impressive. Rating: 4.7

Another fantastic example of chamber pop from Belle and Sebastian. These really are classics.

If you like this, listen to Tigermilk, which I think is their best album!

One of the best albums ever made

A really nice album. Super pretty. Really indie twee. Great orchestration and softness to the playing and singing. Not that it doesn't punch hard. It punches like a pillow fight. Gentle and simple.

I love this record. Get Me Away From Here is one of my favorite songs ever.

I often find myself reminiscing about the CD age, where I'd have to carefully decide what to buy based on written reviews, and often bought an album without hearing anything by the artist before. If it didn't appeal to me straight away I was invested in relistening to try to appreciate it. One of the downsides of that era was if I still didn't connect with an album I'd completely disregard that artist going forward. This is what happened for me with Belle and Sebastian; I bought one of their albums (think it was Tigermilk, and I probably found it too twee at the time), didn't care for it so never revisited them. As a result I missed out on this terrific album until now. It's beautiful, varied, catchy with no wasted space, and it makes me want to check out some of their other albums.

5 stars A perfect, delicate piece of pop. Catchy, emotional, slight yet confident. This record is a delight.

After being on the fringes of my music taste, last year suddenly Belle & Sebastian roared into my life. Adore this album.

Keeping this review short because I forgot to do it and now I’m in bed. I really, really liked this album. I love the vocals. They sound so effortless, but quite literally so. It sounds like he is putting in no effort. But for some reason, together with the music, it makes something truly beautiful. It’s very apathetic, and my partner said, “Of course you like this. It’s bummer music.” And like it, I did.

flipping loved it, was very similar to yesterdays album!! even if we didnt have the velvet underground yesterday i would of said that this album reminded me of the velvet underground!! very summery, will be listening again! first album that i havent heard of before thats gonna get a 5, favourite song was the boy done wrong again

My first exposure of Belle & Sebastian was, The Life Pursuit album and a reference in the film, High Fidelity. The Life Pursuit was a near perfect pop album that endeared me to the band and after hearing most of their studio records, "If You're Feeling Sinister" just might be their best. It's easy to appreciate how catchy, yet quiet and soothing this album is, every track is worth a listen and I would rank this high as one of the best indie-pop records in the 90's. All their albums are worth a listen, but Sinister is essential.