Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I really liked this album. It's super pretentious in a way that I seem to find irresistible.
A record that could only be made by society’s most endearing of characters.
My copy of "Boy with the Arab Strap" got worn out in the late 90s. If I had had a copy of "...Sinister" it would have the same wear marks.
Chamber pop, chamber folk, indie rock, indie pop, twee pop.
This is one of my absolute all-time favorite albums. Funny, clever, affecting lyrics combined with poppy pleasant sounding music that you can nod your head to and sing along with. There is not a single bad song on this album. It’s just one really good to great song after another for 41 minutes straight. This is how you do it. I love the lyric “Think of it this way, you can either be successful or be us” and have lived my life by that maxim. I also always identified with “Me and the Major”’s theme of being unable to connect with the flawed greatest generation because the Baby Boomers broke their hearts so thoroughly that they could never trust a young person again. Plus it has someone completely shredding on harmonica. A great song on a great album. No notes.
aw. such fond memories of my twee era in high school. this is a perfect little album. my review is colored by nostalgia, but still: simple, sweet, and lovely.
First time listening to Belle & Sebastian, and I absolutely loved it. They have a sound reminiscent of the softer bands of the '60s, like The Velvet Underground or The Mamas & the Papas, but they don’t get bogged down in nostalgia. Instead, they use that sound as a jumping-off point and develop it into something distinctly modern (for the ’90s). There’s lots to love about this album, not to mention that them being Scottish is a definite bonus.
Stuart Murdoch has an incredible way with melody; makes me want to sing or whistle along. I love this album; one of Belle and Sebastian's best, and a long time favorite.
Man, what a great little Indie Rock album. Perfect music for a mellow morning.
Simple songs that become grand statements with creative, appropriate arrangements. Perfectly executed songs with thoughtful lyrics. It all sets a tone that creates a world inhabited worth a well drawn cast of characters.
This album is like a nice appetizer, soft beautiful music
Realistically it's a 4.5 as it's not my favourite of theirs but in the rating of this site it's a 5.
really 4, but +1 for nostalgia
Feels good to get an album that I actually like and hasn't been played to death at every grocery store and backyard bbq. Listening more critically than I did as a teenager has dimmed a bit of the magic for me. I hear now how the arrangements are formulaic and a little crowded; sometimes it feels like the guitars keep playing because they don't know what else to do. All the little extra touches still have the same impact, though, and what's most noticeably consistent is the cleverness of the writing and the obvious delight of everyone involved. Also, my goodness heavens, is this the lightest drumming of the 90s? It sounds like they are being played by tiny elves. I love it. Some of their best songs are found elsewhere, especially on "Tigermilk" and "The Life Pursuit", but this is easily their best front-to-back album, with the only dud being "The Boy Done Wrong Again". Even "Mayfly", which I had completely forgotten, brought me a smile this time around. Five stars because the flaws are forgivable and the world is in desperate need of fey jangle pop now, just like it was in 1996. A pleasing antidote to so much of this list.
Was going to instinctively give it a four having lived with it for nearly three decades but then I popped it in. Their last release where it felt like it was just them and me. Their sound changes with Arab Strap (to great effect! [with diminishing returns thereafter]), closing a book on a once mysterious group.
Big fan of Belle and Sebastian
(93/100)
If you position The Fall by Camus so prominently on the cover of your indie band’s sophomore recording, you had better serve us some (pardon me…) killer lyrics.
The best Belle & Sebastian album. 10/10
mellow
I love this album and it's a timeless masterpiece. I came to hear it decades later but it immediately resonated with me. This band has an interesting history and I feel like their story influenced the creation of this work in a way that would be difficult to capture.
Awsome
i didn’t know about these guys until i heard tiger milk earlier from this generator, but this came up and i knew it was their more acclaimed album so i was looking forward, yeah this was sick i loved it
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.
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.
"Making friends on the Disney Cruise by telling them I love Belle and Sebastian" - Ryan Letourneau Nah, this album absolutely rocks. One of my favourite new discoveries off the list so far. Has already been added into regular rotation which is pretty much the biggest compliment you can give anything. Definitely has a stronger first half than second but it's still all great. Fav tracks: Like Dylan In The Movies, The Stars of Track and Field, If You're Feeling Sinister, Me and The Major
"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.
Great album every song was fun to listen to
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
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.
Simple and beautiful with some infrequently expressed ideas, what's not to love?
not very familiar with this group aside from a couple songs The Stars of Track and Field - 5/5 Seeing Other People - 5/5 Me and the Major - 5/5 Like Dylan in the Movies - 5/5 The Fox in the Snow - 4/5 Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying - 5/5 If You're Feeling Sinister - 5/5 Mayfly - 4/5 The Boy Done Wrong Again - 3/5 Judy and the Dream of Horses - 5/5 Average score: 4.6/5 (rounding up) honestly didn't know what to expect since i'd only heard one or two of their tracks in passing, but i really liked this! similar to what others have pointed out, this band sounds like Nick Drake if his music were more upbeat, so i guess it makes sense that this album would click with me. i could see some tracks being used for some indie coming-of-age film for sure (assuming they haven't been already of course)
One of my favourite albums of all time. The songwriting and performances are great. I love Stuart Murdoch's Vocals and the melodies on this album are so catchy. "The Stars of Track and Field". "Like Dylan in the Movies" and the title track are some of my favourite songs of all time 10/10 Favourite: If You're Feeling Sinister Least Favourite: None
One of the albums I've listened to most. Perfect companion to both Edinburgh mist and sunny days in Glasgow. Feels in my blood.
I love this album so much I even have a t shirt of it
Very pretty; I like this a lot. Shades of Vampire Weekend and Billie the Vision and the Dancers
So easy to listen to the whole thing straight through and then feel like you should do it again. B&S was one of my very first introductions into 'indie' music in the late 90's and these tracks were literally some of the very first that opened my ears to what else there is beyond radio. Glorious.
Perfect album and perfect band! I like it. Album contains very balanced composition. Every track is really good. Thanks. The Fox in the Snow is the best song here.
Easy 5 stars for me here — this album was core to my identity for a spell back in the early 2000s. Will be good to go back for a listen. Post listen: it holds up!
even though this is (as of now) the only Belle and Sebastian album I'm even remotely familiar with, I'm comfortable saying that Stuart Murdoch is one of the best songwriters of his time and place. this band strikes such a great balance between familiarity and ingenuity. you'll be humming along to a bouncy melody, and then they'll open a door to a totally different room, leaving you to bask in some sort of lush harmonic bed, and then they go right back to bouncy again. effortlessly catchy, intimately engineered and mixed, and the strings! music that makes you feel good, but also a little wistful. decent 9/10.
This is some soft twee bullshit that sucks. I fucking love it.
Great album, I can see Belle & Sebastian probably aren't for everyone but this is so good. Stuart Murdoch's lyrics and turn of phrase are just on point and he has a real ear for a catchy melody. I get the comparisons to Nick Drake, especially the occasional use of strings and bigger arrangements than guitars and drums give it that chamber folk sound.
Barry: Holy shite. What the fuck is that? Dick: It's the new Belle and Sebastian... Rob: It's a record we've been listening to and enjoying, Barry. Barry: Well, that's unfortunate, because it sucks ass. --Jack Black in High Fidelity. While that is funny, Barry was wrong. This is a stupendous album.
I considered giving this a four, but listen - these are the sounds of my adolescence, and this is a no-skip album for me. “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” is one of the finest songs ever written. I understand why other people don’t vibe with this, but I love love love it.
One of my favs
Whatever sound/style they seemed to be going for they perfected on this album. Lyrics pair really well with vocal styling and arrangements. Various songs have made it to various playlists over the years too.
One of my top favorite records of all time. Every track is brilliant. Murdoch’s vocals and songwriting are quiet but not shrinking and the songs that are sensitive and beautiful are so without becoming twee. I’ve listened to this more times than I can count and have never tired of it. Highlights: every damn song.
Another good record by Belle and Sebastian. Good harmonies, good word play.
This is great, and probably my favorite album of theirs. Glad to listen to it again.
One of my favourite albums of the 90s. I adore it! 5 stars
Wonderfully lofi like
also leaves me slightly speechless but for the opposite reason as all things must pass lol im so familiar and it feels so Small that its like, what do i even say about if you're feeling sinister. besides Its Been A While Since Ive Heard It and It Was A Delight To Hear Again, as always. i didnt hear this album for the First time in 2020 but if i recall that was when it clicked, very rough and tumultuous time when a lot of things were up in the air and of all the records i was spinning at the time this is the one i inevitably became traumabonded to...it seemed to take all my emotions and rework them into something soothing and warm. in that sense i suppose i can never really expect it to "hit" like that again, which is fine! even if i felt nothing (which isnt rly possible at this point), id still have the good sense to enjoy some of the best Strings Of Notes ever put in this particular order. and the title track is kind of taking on new dimensions in some of my recent patterns of thought too...theres probably enough in here to last me decades
Llegamos al jueves. Primera vez que me toca escuchar un álbum de esta banda (ubico una de sus canciones porque aparece en alguna que otra película de Wes Anderson). Un indie folk muy bonito, fogonero, ideal para bajar un cambio. Siempre se agradecen estas joyitas. Hasta mañana.
The best Belle & Sebastian album.
Þessi er næstum þrjátíu ára já... hún er bara alltaf fullkomin og frábær. Dásemd.
My/our friend Jason once described them as ‘Scottish art school kill yourself music’. I hadn’t thought of them that way before he said it but ever since he said it, I can’t listen to any of their music without that quote going through my head repeatedly. Both he and I really like them and have seen them in concert. One of the concerts we went to I remember they had swirly lights that were like peppermints. so, very happy. Although I think the pot helped with the happiness. And then another time they had scheduled a concert in Philadelphia and canceled because of one of the 9000 members of the band was having mental issues. This is an album I could listen to on a desert island. I am vacillating between a four and five. I think it would be really a 4.6 but I’m gonna be nice.
Just a stellar album!
Just soft pleasant music.
5/5
Very chill and easy to listen to. I really liked it.
It's Belle & Sebastian! Need I say more? Gentle, intricate and beautiful. The album probably smells like dried roses. Refreshing from the usual Britpop "cock-and-bull," eh—?
It's such a small and intimate album, it feels too frivolous to be a part of this, but that's sort of why I love it. It is such a self contained universe that it makes for such a great album in a way that many albums are just either greatest hits or the one good song sticks out like a sore thumb. All these songs seem like one part to a whole.
Loved it for 20 years
One of the few albums that manages to feel chill and uptempo at the same time. The lyrics feel very ironic and the style has become inspirational for many modern indie bands
That was such a good record! Thanks for showing it to me! It reminded me of early Donovan or Beach boys.
Interesting to get this the day after 36 Chambers - two of my favourite 90s albums with completely different vibes! Belle & Sebastian are a great band and this album is them at their best. Should be too twee but it somehow works. All killer no filler. Fav tracks: If You're Feeling Sinister, Judy and the Dream of Horses, Me and the Major
Love this album, one of my favorites so far, if not my favorite. Always happy to give it another listen.
A brilliant album. Start to finish. One of my favorites.
Classic accompaniment to my teenage angst. Not quite the album boy with the arab strap would be, but a masterpiece regardless. Standout tracks are still “stars of track and field”, “get me away from here I’m dying” and “judy and the dream of horses”. Existential crisis permeates the album, but never without a dash of hope and irony: “chances are you’ll probably feel better if you stayed and played with yourself”.
I think I‘ve really liked a whole lot of artists who were influenced by belle & sebastian, so I was probably bound to like this. Sure enough, I really liked it. My kind of folky, melancholy pop. ⭐️ get me away from here, me and the major, stars of track and field .. but I pretty much liked it start to finish
481 - If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian PREFACE A “grower” - I nearly missed what works about this. [and I needed a reset after swooning to rediscovered Ella Fitzgerald albums for 5 days] Have you ever - disliked a painting - only to find what you like in it wasn't immediately apparent? This also requires a pause; and a bit of curiosity, openness and even effort. I nearly didn't get past the off tune singing in track 1 or 2. REVIEW Title "If Napoleon Dynamite were a band" ...ever feel like something is almost okay, a;most familiar, but something isn't right? That awkward "just out of reach" feeling? Mildly irksome, it incites action. And so, I was gong to commend this music to anyone wanting to listen to stumbling or rambling everyday mellow stuff, sung slightly out-of-tune breezy manner. And then I “saw it”....: It's quirky and lovable like Spot the wonky dog. It's delivered in what I believe to be self-aware intentional polish. It's therefore a wonderful artform. Who knows what this is called... or why it grows on you. It has an quirky slow lazy effortless “something” Is it comforting knowing I too could sing and write at least this well? Does that remove a wall, and what does it open ? And then I just stopped asking. It might make you want to punch a wall. But if a goal of Meditation, Buddhism, and of Jungian Analytical Psychotherapy is to learn to perceive and not judge, then this might be a worthy object onto which to direct your awareness. Consider a workout for the Muscles your Consciousness. Like getting up from your workstation for a stretch and a deep breath. [PATIENT ADVISORY: Start with small doses, don't try too hard and if discomfort arises, use the "Valsalva Maneuver" or 4 7 8 4 breathing. And smile to yourself, then say ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha until you get to ten syllables. Other Side effects of this album may include sighing, frequent yawning, stretching. Or going for a walk in annoyance. Lesser known side effects are familiar queasy comfort especially among the chronically awkward - but it subsides if you let it. see?. More common, and desirable, it a sense of expansive freedom or elation which may inspire you to walk in the cool sunshine humming "you dream of horses" to yourself] Here is some illustrative text to get you going if you are not near a large warm brown berger covered speaker and velvet beanbag set - which would be ideal for listening to the album/doing the “Belle and Sebastien” experience : "Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying" Song by Belle and Sebastian Oh, get me away from here, I'm dying Play me a song to set me free Nobody writes them like they used to So it may as well be me Here on my own now after hours Here on my own now on a bus Think of it this way You could either be successful or be us With our winning smiles, and us With our catchy tunes or worse Now we're photogenic, you know We don't stand a chance [cut to save space]" They know exactly what they are up to. This is the ultimate slacker music - prompting The Pause And allowing Whimsey Telling us , with on oddly soothing late 20th century folk rock feeling or speed They may well be saying “it doesn't need to make sense to be good” And if you don't get it that’s fine, come back later We’re just mucking around anyway Because: Fun. Everything is going to be alright because it always was. I wonder what this album would do as a control group treatment versus Psychedelic Therapy. Or if it works nicely as an accompaniment to the essential Swedish ritual Fika - the tea/coffee on chat break they have at 10 and 3 each day. Like all good nordic ideas, I hope this bookish charming music style spreads.
This has been my summer holiday soundtrack since our honeymoon in Portugal 6 years ago. Everything about this album makes me think of the happiest times with my wife. Sunshine, beaches, fresh cold orange juice, train rides and long drives through hills and forests. Somebody wrote here that listening to it feels like receiving a warm hug and I cannot agree more. I love it, there are no skips, always a pleasure to go back to. A well-deserved 5/5
Love B&S. This album is up there as one of their best (if not the best). 5/5
Since I first heard this years and years ago it's grown on my massively, now there's not a single second of it I don't like. Perfect album to lay back and relax to, beautiful lyrics and melodies. It does sound same-y the first time or two, but the songs really open up after that.
listening to a full Belle & Sebastian album is like when you know what you want to order at the restaurant and you’ve been low-key hyped for a bit and then the food comes and it’s better than you imagined and also someone else is paying. It exceeds on high expectations every time.
A beautiful and poetic jangly indie pop album that always delivers
this album cures hangovers
Very good vocals and writing
Another Scottish album I have a big bias towards. In my opinion this is an indie pop masterpiece, clever lyrics catchy melodies. Not a bad song on it.
“She was into S&M and bible studies” what a bar
I've heard of Belle and Sebastian, but I don't think I've ever listened to any of their music before. I’m glad I did a little bit of quick research before diving into this album; I had the misconception that Belle and Sebastian were eponymously named. For some reason, I thought this band was a male-female duo, in the vein of She & Him. Look at me, learning things on a Friday. This album was absolutely fantastic. I think I expected something heavily folky, but instead, I got some fantastic indie rock. I love how most of the songs started off with less instrumentation, and then slowly added additional instruments to evolve the sound. The arrangements on each song were incredibly beautiful and really fun to listen to. I was pleasantly by the richness of sound on each song, and how nothing ever felt repetitive or got stale, and I think that’s due in part to some fantastic production work. Also, the vocals were great, and the lyrics had a feeling of air sentimentality that never felt overly sappy or fake. I loved every bit of this album, and I’d listen to it again in a heartbeat.
Before listening: I feel I've heard of Belle and Sebastian but it was sometimes around the 2010s. I reckon I'm thinking of a totally different band here. The band I'm thinking of were kind of like a folk band or something, sang a song about a plane ... I don't know. After listening: I don't know what to say. Modern folk is one of my most hated genres but this album was amazing! I'm sure I'm not the first to say this, but Belle and Sebastian are like a modern Simon and Garfunkel, and not the shitty modern Paul Simon that Vampire Weekend sound like. I loved this album!
YESYESYES
You need to hear this a few times. By the third listen his voice is no longer annoying, it suits the strange little stories he tells.
I love these guys. So twee!
Excellent early effort
No es mi favorito, pero ....5.
The first side is interesting enough, but the second achieves a rare sort of transcendence. "Get Me Away I'm Dying" is an all-timer – a master class on using horns in a pop song, just as the title cut is on deploying ambient noise or SFX from real life. The playing is artful and adept, with grace notes and artisinal crafting embedded and affixed generously and charmingly, the lyrics evocative and literary in the best way. The songs swing easily (which keep them just this side of precious) reinforcing the modest-seeming sonic ambitions but belying the quality and substance of much of the highlly literate, even novelistic material. There's emotional depth and range – see the seamless shift from the quietly heartfelt dirge-ing of "Boy Done Gone Wrong" to the ebullient outburst-ing of "Judy & the Dream of Horses," a wonderfully satisfying closer– as well as moment to dance (as tweely as possible, one supposes). SM gets unprecedented mileage out of a limited range, adding to the Goldilocksian "just-right" outcome of just about every cut. Personal note (and justification for rounding up): this record single-handedly restored one's faith in pop music after having nearly fully reoriented on jazz and classical, such was its inventiveness and originality and subtle power. Though one slightly prefers Boy with the Arab Strap as the essential B&S dessert island disc, this still sounds great today. Easy to mock, this band, but hard not to like and admire, given their ability to do so well what they so clearly set out to do.
Talk about a hyped album. I've never listened to Belle & Sebastian before, but a lot of ink been spilled about them and their impact on music, particularly the indie scene I once found so vital and precious. I can hear it right away, as soon as the opening track: the slight production, the subtle build, the trumpet as the sonic climax. There's more sex on this record than I'd expected. I guess I assumed it would be too twee. It's not *sexy*, but certainly curious about sex as subject matter. Maybe a little horny. This album casts a spell. I was inclined to resist it, but around halfway through I realized I was really, really enjoying it. Damn. Highlights: Seeing Other People, Like Dylan in the Movies, Get Me Away from Here I'm Dying, If You're Feeling Sinister (what a great title track), Judy and the Dream of Horses
Folksy, smooth vocals, acoustic strumming, and very calming.
For some reason I always thought Belle & Sebastian were a male/female singer songwriter duo where the male looked like, or may have been, Sebastian Bach. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to be wrong! I wish I got into this band earlier.
VERY NICE I LOVE THEE LYRICS
Where do you even start with a masterpiece like this? The first thing to note is that this album came out barely six months after their debut. This is a band with such creative force that they can pull 12 songs of such quality in such a space of time. I just love this album. I love the combination of naivety and confidence. Stuart knows he's onto something here, he knows that Tigermilk has made them the most interesting under the radar band in the country, he knows he's doing something all the luddites down south can't do, because he's got empathy, storytelling and delicacy on his side. I could talk through song by song about how great this album is, but let's pull out some highlights: Me and the Major is one of the all time great bops, and the harmonica towards the end is like a rush of joy. The Boy Done Wrong Again is a tear jerker. Mayfly is the most sublime ode to an insect on record. The title track is storytelling to rival any celebrated writer (who ARE these people? I like to imagine Stuart staring out from his bed at passers-by and creating whole backstories for Emily and the rest). And then there's Judy and the Dream of Horses. The second of my funeral songs that I've had on the project (the palette cleanser to Harrison really). It's a great story, it's idiosyncratic and relatable at the same time. The refrain between the verses is such lovely instrumentation, and the way it subtly builds from extreme gentleness into an all out danceable number by the end shows a band reaching the parts that no-one else can reach. A band like no other and their greatest album of all. Get in.
Sad boi hours masterpiece
Aijai, tää on vaan niiin hyvä. Fantasioin ysärillä kampuksen pihalla kävelystä tätä kuunnellen, kun coolit pojat jauhaa jostain grungesta. Aika varmasti bändin paras levy ja lopulta helppo vitonen.
This takes me back to another time and place. Belle And Sebastian songs made there way in heavy rotations in the early to mid 00s, and though I never spent too much time listening to their albums in full, I think this one was always my favorite. Coming back, this was a serious joy. Each song offers something special with some subtle quirks that may not be apparent at first, and they all flow together very well. It does hold a reputation for some pretension and maybe some of the music blends together a little too much, but I find this album very warm and inviting. "Precious", but as the title suggests, there is a dark side under the surface which in the end, brings emphasis to something feeling very human and tangible.
Some really great songs, but a bit bizarre to read they’re from Glasgow as this record feels very American to me. Anyway, I liked it a lot.
It's such a beautiful, gentle, unique and well written indie album. Absolutely love it.
Nice
Beautiful wee album. Perfection.
Honestly this album just hits hard asf. It sounds kind of like yo la tengo. But honestly fox in the snow hit me so damn hard
Thank god someone finally forced me to really listen to them. Fantastic record.
This is the second album by these guys on this list. Never listened to them before. They're great!
"If You're Feeling Sinister" is the second studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. Chamber pop, chamber folk, indie rock, twee pop. Very interesting genre descriptions and appropriate. This album was recorded quickly after their debut "Tigermilk" in the same Glascow studio, CaVa Studios. The band signed to the Jeepster label which gave them more artistic freedom...no singles released. This particular album was very well received and is often ranked among the best albums of the 90's and many think their best album. An acoustic guitar opens "The Stars of Track and Field." It's melodic and builds and then slows down. A trumpet is added. It's about a girl who is a track and field star and all the boys like her but she may not like them. "Seeing Other People" continues the nice melodies with layered piano and strings. I think it's about gay experimentation. "Like Dylan in the Movies" was written about lead singer Stuart Murdoch's paranoia of walking through the park. Drums and bass are more prevalent. A guitar solo. Piano and strings. Great vocals by Murdoch. "Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying" is more in the folk vein. Murdoch's lyrics are brilliant as he seems to be fed up with mundane life as he looks out of window. Voices of children playing begin "If You're Feeling Sinister" and stay in the background throughout the song. A piano, guitar, bass and drumbeat carry the fast pace. The story of two people looking to the church but not finding answers. Strings add to an overall melancholy feel. The album ends with "Judy and the Dream of Horses." Acoustic guitar. Bass. Drums. A trumpet comes in and the pace picks up. A sad song of Judy who only feels good when she's sleeping. This is an excellent album. It does fit within several genres but is mostly chamber pop and folk. The layered melodies are great with multiple instruments including guitars, piano, strings, harmonica and a trumpet. Murdoch's soothing vocals and very creative lyrics. Beautiful sounding songs. Yeah, one of my favorites from the 90's.
I was wondering when this under appreciated band would show up as a recommendation!
I love this album and I've loved it for like 20 years. 5/5
Such a great collection of songs well delivered.
Lads
Absolutely breathtaking. Definitely a new favorite. I can’t stop listening to it.
Indie classic. Can we cuddle up in chunky sweaters and read a book in the snow/rain? This is college rock in a nutshell, the imagery is fantastic and the instrumentation is top notch. Pretty straightforward that this one is outstanding, but this still seems under the radar, which gives it a niche boost.
I'm not completely comfortable calling myself a B&S fan, but I love the first 4 albums so it's an instant 5 star for me.
There were a few moments that I thought this was just a little too precious or twee. But just a few. I want to keep listening to these songs again and again.
I liked this album very much. They sounded cute.
If no one's using Terry Underwear as their drag/burlesque name, I call dibs. I love B&S and I love this album.
Tigermilk made me fall in love with Belle & Sebastian years ago but I hadn’t fully explored the rest of their catalog. After Tigermilk appeared on this list I decided to check out this album and instantly it earned a place in the regular rotation. Needless to say this gets a top ranking. It’s a tough choice to choose a favorite between Tigermilk and this - and I’m not sure this can overtake my first love. Still, this is a terrific album that I look forward to hearing again and again!
Really pretty and jangly twee pop. They're a very consistent band, with all their albums having more-or-less the same style, but in other albums I would try finding the highlights and forget about the rest. But I feel this one is their strongest, with only 3 tracks I'm not crazy about (but they're still good). Everything else is magnificent, with many of their best songs on here. The vocalists are recognizable and beautiful, and the arrangements are lush and peaceful, sometimes powerful but often quiet and melodic.
Not my favourite from Belle & Sebastian, but I still can't give it any less than 5 stars. What other band sounds so upbeat and so melancholic at the same time?
It took me so many years to finally get into this band that I'm not letting go now. The lyrics are the driving force ably assisted by the laid back disinterested vocals and beautifully poignant musical accompaniment - guitar, drums and occasional trumpet (and even a harmonica!) The words conjure up wet Wednesday evenings contemplating doing your Geography homework whilst daydreaming about the girl in the French class who you like but don't know her name (you know someone who spoke to her yesterday so you're going to ask them what it is.......you hope it's something like 'Julie' or 'Lisa'). Bittersweet.
4.8
Good
This was a really nice listen and a great chamber pop album. The soft vocals and the instrumentals complement each other well. It just hits that Autumn feeling (it’s Summer, but I feel like this is a Fall album) so well.
OK, no Rollercoaster Ride or Sleep the Clock Around, but this could still be Belle & Sebastian's most consistent album. Great song-writing. There is a live version of Seeing Other People, which is even better than the album version.
This is wonderful, so very very melodic. It just flows completely.
Lovely
This was a great surprise, I have stumbled on to a new artist to add to my rotation!
Thoroughly enjoyed
First songs one of most beautiful of B&S, like their first albums better than later ones, more melancholy, less fun. This is a five star album easily
Good vibe music, none jumped out specifically but enjoyable all the way through as background music
yeah <3
Siren song of misfits in towns so small everywhere. This album will try in vain to take away the pain of being a hopeless unbeliever, but god will it try.
So on rateyourmusic, I'm stuck between a 4.0 and a 4.5. But translating that score to here no matter what it is between those two it'll be a five star. BESIDES THAT THOUGH, this is really good. I've been meaning to listen to this album for a very long time. The melodies of all of the songs are just so catchy and so earwormy. Mmmmmm.
Like Dylan in the Movies
Very easy listening, very nice
hørte sjukt masse på detta i fjor
While twee may be a cliche, this album is the reason why it was ever A Thing in the first place.
I had gotten Belle & Sebastian's album Tigermilk a bit ago on this generator, but knew of this album from my partner's love for it, so was hoping that may enjoyment from their prior album would just be heightened more in this, and it absolutely was. It is hard to explain what makes this album so enjoyable, but the melancholy feeling with the easy listening really are heighted with the almost "locomotive" feeling of some songs, while knowing when to reel it back to really make the album feel fuller. It's just a feeling that isn't quite folk, alternative, or anything else, but its own thing that is really quite enjoyable. Excellent listen.
This was a game changer for me when I first heard it (probably ‘08 or ‘09). A soft spoken album with a lot to say. me and the Major and Get Me Away are the classics but there are no bad tracks here. An ungenerous take could dismiss this as meek twee, but the execution is nearly flawless and it’s hugely influential.
A brilliant pop album with a dark underside. The music is multi-layered and classic while the lyrics have a decided edge. Classic
simply beautiful
Greatly enjoyed, reminded me of Sondre Lerche
Utterly charming and winsome, and novelistically rich in emotional and intellectual content. It's easy to mock this band as the height of Millennial tweeness or cottagecore, but one finds it hard not to like and admire the work, given its orginality and the band's ability to do so well what they so clearly set out to do.
A great classic throwing back to influences from 60's early indie music like the Velvet Underground but never sounding like pastiche or copy-cat. The songwriting is stunning and the stories told through the lyrics are fun and diverse. Most of the music here is acoustic guitar driven tunes that are superbly elevated by beautiful orchestral arrangements. Some of the best examples of this are the trumpets on " Stars of Track and Field", the strings on "The Boy Done Wrong Again" and recorder, trumpet and organ on " Judy and the Dream of Horses". The influence of this album can be heard in great albums by Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, The Shins and Fleet Foxes. For me the one-two punch of Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister is one of the best combo of debut and sophomore albums of all time. Stunning. 9,7/10
An excellent record from a brilliant band. There’s a misfit quality to Belle and Sebastian and these songs of outsiders and strugglers makes the listener feel part of a secret club - a club sufficiently large enough to rally the fans on a nascent internet to vote the band best newcomer at the 1999 Brit awards. The album is catchy, charming and witty; the production is excellent, full of beautifully arranged lines and Murdoch’s vocals pulls everything along. Although later albums are even better than this, IYFS gets five stars in case this is Belle and Sebastian’s only appearance on this list. If you liked this album check out the live version of the entire album.
Love this album!
Love B&S
I love this album and used to listen to it a ton, and it's great to revisit. Almost flawless.
No es mi favorito, pero ....5.
Fantastic album that I'd never listened to before
So great
Winsome 90s indie done beutifully
Comfort album
A twee masterpiece. One of their best!
This is my first listen of this album & likely the first time I’ve taken notice of this band. And I just have to ask….who has hidden them from me for my whole life??? I love their sound and am loving this album.
Quite chill. Enjoyed it.
Hell yeah
I really enjoyed this album's sound and tone. I liked every single song on the album. I also like the singer's voice quite a bit, but I could understand why others might not. My favourite songs were probably Me and the Major and The Stars of Track and Field.
An album that gets better and better the more you listen - it takes a few passes to truly appreciate the wit and turns of phrase in the lyrics and the richness of the musical compositions. Consistent all the way through and each member has their moments of creativity and expression, all held together with Stuart M's strong songwriting. I didn't think this was my favorite Belle & Sebastian record, but after this listen I think I've changed my mind and awarded it a rightful place at the top of the list.
Absolute vibe.
I was not familiar with this album before today though I have listened to newer Belle & Sebastian albums a lot. I don't think this is their best material but if this is the record named in the book then we'll just go with it. 5 stars for the album because it is representing an amazing band.
Major fall vibes on this one. A lot cool things going on the background like little harmonicas , touches of keys, a guitar popping in and out and splashes of horns.
First impressions from looking at the tracklist is that all the songs have oddly long titles. After listening to it it's awesome. Five stars. Perfect. Light vocals, lots of intentional reputation and an interesting song structure that seems to melt as the song goes along. Couple saxophone solos that rip and a good guitar solo on one track.
Кайфарик
An amazingly good album. The simple, memorable, absolutely gorgeous melodies. The sweet, soulful vocals, the poetic lyrics, the perfect tasteful arrangements. Every song is a winner. A beautiful 5 🌟 album.
This is another high school classic for me. It’s a great listen straight through, the only weak point is “The Boy done wrong again” but in the context of the album it works.
Belle & Sebastian just don't miss. A superb little album that is cozy as hell. Good for your rainy day needs. Or for any day really.
I was a teenage tweenager. I got fully obsessed with Belle and Sebastian. Used to hang out on early web forums dedicated to them and carve their lyrics into desks. So this is not an unbiased review. It was a joy to listen back to it. The sly wit, the aching heartbreak, the ridiculously long and unresolving chord progressions. Just one of the best bands ever. Fun and moving and charming.
Música pop perfecta en el seu plantejament i resultat. Rara avis en el panorama dels '90, res a veure amb el brit pop o l'escena rave de l'época, van sorgir com tot un misteri, que envoltava les seves portades i imatge i continuava en uns temes de pop d'orfebreria, diferents a tota la resta, bevent d'influències pretèrites però amb una originalitat molt especial. Tenen una sèrie de discos genials, però aquest primer (o segon, si comptem 'Tigermilk') és segurament el millor. Et fa sentir còmode i feliç, estiguis en l'estat d'ànim que estiguis. De molt pocs discos es pot dir quelcom així
In my first year after graduating, I arrived at an aimless place in life where everything I’d thought mattered suddenly didn’t. I discovered Belle and Sebastian’s music, and it immediately struck several chords. Their music is brimming with intricate and heartfelt storylines of disaffected youths, either washed up rebels or sensitive would-be- intellectuals gingerly looking for their real place in the world. “If You’re Feeling Sinister” captures this mixture of lethargy and pain in a seamless set of snapshots. Outsiders who endlessly travel on busses, fumble around with a string of lovers, are obsessed with S&M and bible-studies, and dream of horses. Lyrically, it’s photorealistic to the point you can hear Glasgow’s rain and fog spreading over each track. And the music? Absolutely beautiful. It’s commonly known as “twee pop”, which has always suggested a bit of a snobby, dismissive attitude to me. All it really means is there’s a constant focus on melody, delicately expressed by Stuart Murdoch’s featherweight vocals. There are occasional instrumental flourishes, all gently and perfectly befitting the world the songs and their characters inhabit (Trumpets! Harmonica! Glockenspiel! Recorders!) But really, the arrangements are light and gimmick-free enough to not pull too much attention away from the lyrics and melody. “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” is the wry, yet catchy, yet gloomy, yet buoyant core of the album, spanning several moods over its singalong refrain. But every other track here is gold, whatever mood it falls under. Some are upbeat but unravel in pages and pages of scattered poetry, like “Mayfly”, “Seeing Other People” and “Me and the Major”. Some express forlorn sympathy mingled with more than a little hope, like “The Boy Done Wrong Again” and “Fox in the Snow”. Finally, we have the bittersweet sense of triumph building majestically across “Judy and the Dream of Horses”, my all time favourite by the band. Life after graduation got much better, by the way. Learning Stuart Murdoch had struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome for many years put things firmly in perspective.
cet album et moi étions sur la même vibration spirituelle au moment précis où je l'ai écouté je pense
"Sad bastard music" as Jack Black's character from High Fidelity called it, Belle and Sebastian will always hold a special place in my heart for being gentle enough to be genuinely touching without succumbing to excessive melodrama
Lovely.
An indie classic! Favorites: Get Me Away, I'm Dying; If You're Feeling Sinister
Best Song: Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying. I love anything that places dark and melancholy meaning within an upbeat presentation. Worst Song: Like Dylan In The Movies. Not a bad song, just the least interesting lyrically of an otherwise excellent album. Overall: Fantastic. Exactly my type of muted, lyrically poignant songwriting.
Despite this probably not being my fave Belle and Sebastian, I love them so much this has to be a 5. You simply can't have a bad time listening to this. Such. Good. Vibes.
Superb. just fantastic all round
I knew from the first song this was gonna be an album I’d fall in love with I usually don’t call myself an indie fan but there’s this specific kind of indie I’m obsessed with. Neutral Milk Hotel, The Antlers, etc. these bands that have these beautiful, instrumentally diverse, melodic, but lyrically melancholic pieces that I could listen to for hours if you’re gonna listen to this album, I strongly recommend you read along the lyrics, it really adds to the beauty and atmosphere this is one of those albums too good to rate, a 10/10 just doesn’t feel good enough but yes, I really love this specific kind of sound that reminds me of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea or In the Attic of the Universe (both those albums are also too amazing to rate) just, I can’t even put into words how amazing of an experience it was for me to listen to this please check this amazing art out now i’m gonna go check out Tigermilk
Great listen again.
Wow, this is so in my wheelhouse I'm surprised this album wasn't ever reccomended to me. I think I ended up putting half the songs on a playlist
Nice and mellow, easy listening
Gentle, melodic, indie pleasantry. this and Boy with the Arab Strap are perfectly created indie masterpieces
Been a fan of Belle and Sebastian, this is their best.
Still a classic
Favoriete nummers: - The stars of track & field
First off, it was only a couple of days ago that I discovered a song from this album and I liked it so could it be fate that this album has been brought to me for today? Who knows, but I really, really enjoyed this album. I liked how the songs were indie pop, but at times had elements of folk-rock too. My favourites from this album are The Stars of Track & Field, Seeing Other People, Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying, If You're Feeling Sinister and Mayfly. 5/5 stars.
I loved this
Kinda slaps. Sad vibes
Einige äußerst schöne Geschichten und Figuren. Einiger der traurigeren Schicksale klingen sehr nach meiner immer noch nachhallenden Depressionsphase. Es fühlt sich wieder gut an, leider.
I just really feel like this album excels in so many categories: lyrics, composition, big time mood.
Just another complete classic, I love this band.
too ez
<3
Liked this track https://youtu.be/5-aB4wtWiYI also good front. Solid
i thought it was pretty good
It’s pleasant enough, Stars of Track and Field is a highlight and whilst overall I do appreciate Belle and Sebastian I always thought they really hit their stride on Boy With The Arab Strap where Isobel Campbells vocals really helped vary the dynamic. 3.7
Overly sentimental twee bullshit and I can’t help but love it
Sopii kevyeen tekemiseen. Kivaa matkamusaa, sopii bussiin tai pyöräilyyn.
Well that’s it… 1089/1089 Maybe I’m in a good mood. But that was kind of a nice end. This list is horrible though. Goodbye.
Cute and romantic songwriting going on here and i’ll admit i didn’t fully *feel* it on this listen-through, but it has the makings of something i’ll like a lot more in time, so i’ll rate it on the slightly generous side but fairly overall. Standouts are Like Dylan in the Movies, if you’re feeling sinister and the boy done wrong again.
ive never heard of these guys before but this album is pretty good. it sounds a lot more modern than i expected for a 96 release. i guess this is where all that 00s indie rock was pulling from? the instrumentation is great throughout and i really enjoy stuart murdoch's voice a lot. my favourite track is definitely "seeing other people", the energy of it has me bobbing my head on each listen and predictably i like the lyrics for gay reasons. ngl, between that and murdoch's effeminate lisp i was surprised to find out he's straight.... i almost feel like i've been queerbaited?? anyway, other high points are the title track, "the boy done wrong again", and "the fox in the snow", the outro of which kinda reminds me of postal service despite predating it by 7 years. they were really reaching into the future on this album.... it's a little too twee at times for me to give it a full 5 stars but it's still got a lot about it that i like. i definitely gotta check out more belle & sebastian, even if it is just cos murdoch's voice makes me feel weird....
8/10 Great songs, gentle with an underlying melancholy.
Väldigt behagligt och fint! "Seeing other people" är en riktig favorit.
A very sweet, lovely and passionate twee pop record. As the previous album I've heard from them, "Tigermilk", the album has an incredibly cozy and yet sad tone that I really liked, thanks to the delicate singing and the incredibly detailed instrumentation. I specially love the voice. The singer has a very particular voice that sound very vulnerable and personal, but doesn't sound incredibly melodramatic or too sad. Also, he has a very peculiar accent that makes him very unique. When it comes to the instrumentation, I think it is great and delicate as well. There are a lot of instruments and every single one sounds wonderful. The piano melodies, the bells, the little touches of electric guitar, the occasional horns , the harmonica in "Me and the Major"... everything adds its own touch to make this project sound pretty. So yes, great experience. I find it hard to highlight any song in particular, as I think there is no weak spot. Maybe I could use a bit more of variation in the overall sound, but still a decent experience. Only reason I'm not giving a higher score is because I am not incredibly moved about it.
It's good - I like it. I like pretty much all their stuff. Guess that makes me a hipster.
There are albums that reveal themselves immediately, and albums that spend years quietly following you around waiting for the right moment. If You’re Feeling Sinister belongs firmly in the second category. I’ve always liked Belle and Sebastian, but revisiting this record reminded me how easy it is to mistake delicacy for slightness. The songs arrive lightly. The arrangements rarely raise their voices. The characters often seem uncertain, distracted or half-lost. Yet underneath sits an astonishingly rich piece of songwriting. What struck me this time was how restless the album is. Almost every song concerns someone searching for something - another person, another life, another explanation, another version of themselves. Nobody really arrives anywhere. The athlete remains an object of fascination. Lisa remains caught between stories and reality. The boy gets done wrong again. Judy dreams of horses. The woman at the centre of the title track wrestles with faith, desire and meaning. These aren’t songs about answers. They’re songs about looking. Murdoch’s great gift is his refusal to simplify people. The lyrics are playfully ambiguous without ever feeling evasive. A line can be funny, sad and revealing at the same time. A song can be a love song, a warning and a character study simultaneously. Again and again, Murdoch presents a scene and trusts the listener to do some of the work. The title track remains the album’s emotional centre. For all its reputation as a song about religion, it feels more like a song about vulnerability. The mention of Anthony walking to his death lands with shocking force because it arrives so casually. Murdoch never signals its importance. He simply places it there and carries on. The song’s conclusion is equally remarkable. Rather than offering certainty or revelation, it offers something smaller and perhaps more useful: go and talk to somebody. The chances are you’ll probably feel better. It is a profoundly humane song. What increasingly interests me about Belle and Sebastian is how British their musical instincts are. Not merely indie-British, but connected to older traditions of melodic economy. Listening again, I kept thinking about Ronnie Hazlehurst, Norrie Paramor and the world of television themes, library music and little pieces of functional melody. These songs establish themselves immediately. A few notes and the world is there. Murdoch’s characters may be uncertain, but the songwriting is not. The album is also far funnier than its reputation allows. The Boy Done Wrong Again sounds less like a lament than the verdict of an older Scottish observer who has seen this sort of thing happen before. Even the most serious songs contain moments of gentle absurdity. Murdoch understands that people are often ridiculous, especially when they are trying to become themselves. Perhaps the album’s greatest strength is its compassion. These songs are full of self-deception, projection, longing and confusion, yet there is never any sense of judgement. Murdoch observes his characters closely but refuses to mock them. He understands that most of us spend our lives improvising our way through situations we only half understand. Nearly thirty years on, what remains impressive is not the album’s cleverness, though there is plenty of that. It is the depth of feeling concealed within such modest means. Small observations accumulate into something substantial. Tiny details carry surprising emotional weight. Entire discussions emerge from a single scene, a single line, a single glance. It remains an album of restless vignettes - unshowy, humane, funny, ambiguous and quietly profound.
This is an afternoon album and it sounds better in a vehicle than through headphones. I listened to this a half dozen times and it's good. I'm unlikely to revisit though. Pitchfork put this as the 14th best album of the entire decade of the 90's, maybe I expected more because of that. Or maybe I was salty because I couldn't feel sinister while I was eating Shrek birthday cake.
<3
I was debating between a 3 and a 4 for this one. The final track, Judy And The Dream Of Horses was what tipped it over the edge. Great song. Overall it was a really enjoyable album but I didn’t like it anywhere near as much as Tigermilk. That was a five star album all day long for me.
Undeniable. Had a "this is gay" reaction at first but it ultimately ended up winning me with it's perfect melancholy and dense yet perfectly poppy songwriting. Will have to relisten further.
i love this album. a very important one for me in freshman year of college. i saw them at wolf trap in 2022 (i think?). adore how gentle how stuart murdoch's voice is, love the harmonica on 'me and the major.' i remember posting a cover of 'get me away from here, i'm dying' to tiktok in 2021 and being so excited when it got a couple thousand likes. 'judy and the dream of horses' is one of my favorite songs ever. 4.5.
Quite quite enjoyable and mellow easy listening
Decent stuff!
'Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying' is one of my favourite songs. The other tracks on the album can't match it, but they all have their understated moments.
The first track felt kinda meh, but it grew on me as the album went on. more emotion, better melodies, and just way more interesting overall. It really has some great songs. Will definitely come back for this one! Favorite track(s) Like Dylan in the Movies Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying If You're Feeling Sinister
Twee, yes, whatever that means, but really sweet and beautiful. B&S songs take up residence in your head manders live a while in there. Lyrically the stories they tell are true and lived-in and so finely observed you feel them casting webs in your heart. Hmm I’m a little stoned and I don’t know if I’m making sense. I just like to hear these records over and over.
makes me long for a life i never had
Nice light pop music
This music is the product of a singular songwriter who, because of Chronic Fatique Syndrome, spent a lot of time as a young man indoors, alone and reading. The kind of solitude that allows you do explore deeply within your own mind is pretty much impossible now- the isolated young men of today are on the internet, looking at their phones, playing video games. But Stuart didn't have those distractions. He could hear his inner monologues clearly, and over time learned to translate them into poetry and set them to serpentine melodies that always pointed toward hope. Hope that one day he would reenter the world. These earliest recordings of Belle and Sebastian are so delicate and intimate, some of the most vulnerable sounding character studies you can hear, so much so that when he finally breaks into his upper register on ‘The Stars of Track and Field’ one feels a sublime emotional release at the show of strength. It’s such moments that make the band so much more than their fey aesthetics, and on par with sensitive boys like the Smiths and Nick Drake.
this was fun and closer to what i usually listen to! i fw it
Started out a little underwhelming but it definitely won me over with its charms. And great production too.
Des bons morceaux
So pretty and bittersweet Fav tracks: The Fox in the Snow, Mayfly
Just a very light and breezy album to listen to. I adore the production on it. I think the lead vocalist’s voice is one I still have to get used to, but I really enjoyed the songs.
Now this is my kinda music right here, this was a fun listen.
sounds like a busking band. favorites were like dylan in the movies, get me away i'm dying, and mayfly
Delightful. I never went through a B&S phase, but they seem like a fine band to have a phase about.
A pretty terrific Belle and Sebastian album.
I always want to like Belle & Sebastian more. But it’s still a very good album.
muy buen album con una vibra chill pero sorprendente había algo que como que por mas chill que era me mantenía arriba no se muy bueno
Nice, simple, indie pop. Solid 4 Stars.
me encantó el álbum, un indie pop muy bueno y siento q tiene una vibra triste pero no triste del todo, tiene como un kose q pero me re gusto
If You're Feeling Sinister feels like such a grim title for an album that feels pretty lighthearted and a bit weird if you ask me. Don't let this project fool you though, it is totally worth a listen and is definitely not the kind of genre or project you would think it to be, as just like with Tigermilk, it slowly warms up to you thanks to some very charming songwriting and lovely instrumentation. Personally I wasn't blown away by what I was hearing here like some people, but I do still think it is a worthwhile album to float around with. There is never a feeling of being rushed or even any sort of pressure to enjoy what is here, it comes off like a gallery of sort that you can drift through and stop to admire whenever you'd like. Each song is digestible and abstract, but never to the point where it is confusing, but more so in a way where the interpretation is fully up to the listener at hand. I wish I had more to say about this album and Tigermilk but alas these projects just kind of need to be experienced as is and without any sort of tricks at hand. I would like to return to this in the future, but for now I'll sit on it.... Nuff said.
7/10 Best songs: Me and the Major, If You're Feeling Sinister Bdlle and Sebastian are a group I've heard of for decades, listened to once or twice, and decided "ehh not really my thing." My opinion is largely the same after listening to this album. I'm a big fan of this kind of vibey, low key indie music, but the reason it doesn't quite work for me is the lead singer's voice: he sings in such an incredibly relaxed, apathetic way, like he gives so few shits about the meaning of the songs that he doesn't even want to tense his jaw or stay in tune. The non-caring affect is very stereotypical indie hipster, in music form. That being said... I do consider the album really good overall. In a lot of ways it's the platonic ideal of an indie pop/rock album. I just can't stand his voice.
reminds me almost of VU + Nico if it leaned into a bit more of that twee pop vibe.
It's smooth. Ideal for a relaxing day
4/5
The first Belle & Sebastian record I've encountered on the list! I have at least a passing appreciation of some of their work, but I've only ever really listened to The Life Pursuit and Write About Love. After hearing this record, a deep dive is most definitely in order. Beautiful, delicate and thoughtful songwriting and execution. Wonderful record. Favourite tracks: The Stars of Track & Field, Seeing Other People, Like Dylan in the Movies, The Fox in the Snow.
Pekný album s príjemnými pesničkami.
Yeah this was decent. Bonus points for being Scottish
Jag och Annie har en lugn semestersöndag i Hjo. Jag bygger pussel och hon spelar datorspel. Utomhus blåser det så mycket att man bara kan vara inne och chilla. Detta album passade verkligen perfekt in i den settingen. Klar fyra, i all fall en dag som denna. Annie tycker att det var gemytligt och snällt. ”Judy didn’t feel so good, except when she was sleeping” citerar hon. Fyra från henne också.
Positivt överraskad! Ger det en fyra bara för att det var mycket bättre och roligare än vad jag av någon anledning byggt upp det i mitt huvud.
Listening to these guys always puts me in the right mood. This one was a peaceful, relaxing and at times whimsical listen. A good reminder to go revisit some of their other stuff. Some of the songs here did sound alike, but I’m still rating up, just because.
Piola, country melódico
3,5: leuk maar niet elk nummer is even sterk
This was my first real exposure to Belle & Sebastian, and I rather enjoyed it. Musically it feels like fairly typical 90s Indie-Folk. Nothing that will blow your mind. The vocals and delivery of the lines put me in mind of the Kinks' Ray Davies in a way. Lyrically the album is a standout. I knew from the first track that I would enjoy the songwriting most of all. There is an unusual blend of irony and sincerity going on, it's hard to tell which is which. Lines that will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time, which very few can pull off. It's a strong 4, I look forward to hearing more from this band.
After my recent clangy and loud albums this was refreshing.
72/100.
Very easy listening.
Surprisingly really enjoyed this album. Very thorough and up beat.
I thought "another belle and sebastian album on this list?" then listened to it and yeah it's really good lol.
Having already had their first album come up, I knew roughly what to expect. Gentle and twee, with some interesting instrumentation choices. It starts off strong, but I felt it struggled to keep the momentum going somewhat. A good album certainly, but not a great one. Four stars.
Wasn't sure about this one as it took a while for the style of the sound to really gel with me. But when it did, I found a very pleasant listen in an album I enjoyed quite a bit. A nice soothing sound. I'm sure I'll check out their others, too.
Nice melodic quirky indie pop although I prefer The Boy With The Arab Strap. Title song is a standout.
I liked this album better than the first. It felt more eclectic, confident, and witty. It built on the strengths of the first album and finally delivered something I did really like.
My kind of music, if a little flawed.
7/10
i really was ready to come into this a hater. i really was anticipating having to negative and rude. i've heard so much about this album, read about it many times, and just had never listened to it. i thought it could never live up to the hype i built up about it in my head. i was wrong. wow this album is fantastic. it sounds so fresh. i almost can't believe it was released 20 years ago. they really were ahead of their time; i wonder if there was anything that sounded quite like this that came out in the late 90s? this seems so prescient of what would come later in indie music towards the mid/late 2000s. this album is so innovative. it's exciting all the way through. really enjoyed that listen.
Didn't know what to expect, and things kept coming from different directions. Vocalist has a Ray Davies quality, to my ear. While I likely won't seek it out again, I enjoyed the listen.
25# I like very much a lot of Belle and Sebastian and I think I've already listened to this. Lets see. This puts me at peace, such a nice cozy yet demanding of attention experience
Not sure this one will be subject to a lot of repeat listens, but it's enjoyable enough despite not usually being into overly saccharine/twee pop. Peak Softboy Music(tm). 7.5, maybe an 8/10.
7/10 I thought it was a bit boring at first but it sort of grew on me halfway through. I love this brand of Baroque Pop but the singing style was not doing it for me.
cozy and nice
Very chill and enjoyable melodies. There's nothing complicated here, just a nice voice with light instrumentation and good melody. Nothing groundbreaking, but nothing bad, either.
I am writing this review 8ish hours after listening to this and I already forgot most of this album, but I remember enjoying it enough. I do remember this is right in between a 3 and 4 for me though, so I'll be generous and round up. Low 4.
I dig it. It's an album that you put on to set a mood. Chill, lo-key, but not too slow. Soft, but not dull. It kinda helps define that era of the indie genre. B&S seem to take the best of that Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground sound, and make it their own. I can't help but hear Belle and Sebastian and think of the movie Juno, homeskillet.
My partner listens to Belle and Sebastian. He’s been away for a while so it was nice to listen to this and be reminded of him. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this album - reminded me of The Decemberists, especially If You’re Feeling Sinister. I like the soft style of the singing and I like the storytelling. Fav song: Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying Least fav: The Boy Done Wrong Again
His voice does sometimes verge on annoying but most of the time I enjoy it. These songs tell stories in such a fun and beautiful way, just really fun to listen to. Favourite song: Seeing Other People Least: Mayfly