If You're Feeling Sinister

Quite chill. Enjoyed it.

Wow. Much British.

It never really gets you going but you can admire the craft

Decent indie album, a bit lackluster in my opinion.

I thought they were a contemporary indie band. I had no idea they had albums this far back. It was pretty good.

I've never heard of them, but really liked this. My sister can't believe I've never heard this album before.

Favourite songs: the fox in the snow, mayfly, the stars of track and field Least favourite songs: seeing other people, if you're feeling sinister, me and the major The back half of this album was better than the front half. 3/5

Hell yeah

listened to again delightfully warm and comfortable

To dedicate more than a couple of sentences to this album would be disproportionate to the impression it left on me. A pleasant if unremarkable listen.

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.

Fey, but consistently brilliant. So close to getting 5 stars

Cool, mellow, and cutesy indie rock. Solid.

Absolute vibe.

not for me.

Nope.

It's good, but I always feel like they're trying to be clever and I'm skeptical.

I'm in touch with my gentle sensitive side and can appreciate this.

I like the idea of Belle & Sebastian but the execution just kind of is boring for me. It's so indie it's almost to a fault. I'd be very into it in college, I'd imagine. Vocals are pretty unique and memorable but it's all just so low-key it doesn't do much for me.

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.

轻快的乡村风格

Great Album! Reminds me of college and walking around campus and listening on my old brick ipod I had. I've heard a few songs from this album before, but having only listened to Life Pursuit from them, this was a little lighter but I liked it better maybe... Songs to Add to Library Seeing Other People Like Dylan in the Movies Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying

listen

Sweet tunes. but not sickly sweet.

A pleasant indie album. Lots of tender, catchy songs that have that cozy energy that good indie albums have. I wouldn't mind listening to a song or two here, but an entire album of this stuff was just a bit too much of the same for me. Nothing wrong with it, but just not mind blowing. If I need some nice sentimental indie songs I’ll be sure to return to this one.

Good for hanging out on the couch.

Not as twee as I first thought when the album started, a few good tunes but just not my thing

Feels a bit like The Kinks if they were a 90s band. I can only enjoy this type of music for like 20 minutes before it turns into background noise. The songs I heard while my attention was max were pretty good - nothing groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. Strong 3/5, might have to come back to this one once I'm in a mood more adjacent with this album.

I didn't like it, but my wife liked it mainly for nostalgia.

Not my style, rather monotonous vocal, simple melodies and lyric heavy. Despite all of that, I really enjoyed this album and it was a pleasure to listen to. It was one of the most cheerful records so far on this list (if not the only one) and somehow it got stuck in my memory despite being completely different from what I usually listen to. Never heard of Belle & Sebastian before, now it is the first band on this list that I will consider buying a cd/vinyl.

One of my favorite 60's folk rock songs released by a 90's indie band. Clearly derivative, but so well done it doesn't really matter to me. A sweet, warm listening experience. I don't love the production, and find the live release of these songs on If You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican a better choice.

I like the vocals on this. The sound is smooth but overall I don’t find it especially interesting.

This was nice and cute. The album definitely has a vibe to it, and the horn arrangements help to add a lot of texture to these songs. Was this the most exciting music I've ever heard? No. But this defintely feels like a real cohesive album with a vision. A stronger vocal would have made this a better album for me.

Britpop vibes. Good melodies. Very relaxing.

Pleasant, melodic and lightweight. It's generally quite a floaty album with a laid back, late sixties floaty west coast vibe. Some tracks have a bit more urgency (like 'Me and The Major'). I hate to label it easy listening, but that's essentially what it is. It's quite good if you can get past the fey vocals and you're in the right mood but truth be told I have far better LPs of this ilk from the late sixties.

I didn't throw the speaker out the window, although was very close to dropping off.

Far too floaty and ethereal. Nothing landed for me.

Nice. Far too nice. Terribly horrifically nice. Eminently forgettable, not bad, just not great.

It was alright, nice and mellow, it gets boring though as most of the songs sound the same. 2.5

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

Unique album I’ve never heard before. Reminded me of an indie 90s smiths

annoying.

Nice. Can imagine it being in a late 90s/early 00s film or sitcom happy summer montage. Would listen to it again.

Really lovely, nice to listen to. Has a bedroom vibe to it. Could do with a little more textural variation maybe?

Jumped a lot between tolerating and absolutely loathing the singer's voice. Very chill and easy to listen to album, which isn't my usual taste (progressive metal). I've never been a lyrically focused person, so the little additions of brass and harmonica in some songs did help to make the overall listening experience a little more interesting. Very middle of the road album from first listen. No standout tracks, but also no stinkers I was desperate to skip. 3/5

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.

1st July 2022 Listened in the morning while working from home on Adam’s last day! Then got the train in to the office and went to see LCD Soundsytem in Brixton with woody, Ben and Nilisha. Love this classic indie album. Reminds me of being in Edinburgh and will vickers.

Quite a nice and solid indie album. Their voices are really melodic and combined with the music, it makes me feel kind of happy but nostalgic. Lovely to have in the background.

Put me to sleep

I did not expect an album called "If you're feeling sinister" and featuring a picture of a woman pondering over The Trial (I love Kafka) to start out with a song named "The Stars of Track & Field" that is actually about cherry underwear. What to make of it? The first couple songs had me thinking it might be OK but Me and the Major made me think uh-oh. But overall it is pretty and sounds great, I appreciate that I could understand the lyrics. That said, it is a little downbeat for me, at least today.

It's okay. A mix of decent songwriting, but the whole thing can feel a bit bland

This trundled along rather nicely. Nothing too groundbreaking - just some decent tunes played out at a rolling pace. It needs a little more bite to get me fully signed up. But I like the almost disposable take it or leave it approach.

Their best, the strength of the tunes overcoming familiar weaknesses.

Genre: Chamber Pop 3/5 Clearly influential, and clearly sounds like an album beloved by those stuck in the 1990s, but overall not too exciting, Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister is a decent pop album all things considered. With shades of Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Donovan, and the Rolling Stones, this album sounds like what preceded it almost as much as what followed it. One of my favorite albums throughout this exercise is Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, and this is clearly an album he took a lot of inspiration from. While I can appreciate it for being influential in its genre, it certainly doesn't have the same emotional highs as an album like Illinois, and sadly stays pretty flat throughout the majority of the album. Stuart Murdoch has a nice, melancholy kind of voice on him, and it does a lot for these tunes, as most of these folksy arrangements desperately need something to liven it up. The Stars of Track and Field is a nice intro, but about 1 minute and a half too long, and the title track is another decent track, with some great added production, that just unfortunately hangs around for a little too long. Songs like Me and the Major and The Boy Done Wrong Again never truly get off the ground, and both end up sounding like the soundtrack to a Nicholas Sparks movie. Decent overall, and totally inoffensive, but none too special.

Another collection of wonderful songs for sad boys.

It's mellow. It's melodramatic. It's folky. It's dreamy. It has a lot of imagery that I can't really understand. And (maybe) a lot of social references that I don't get. I mean, why is Bob Dylan in the movies? And what kind of sound does a fox in the snow make?

I really do like the Belle & Sebastian style, though the album is a bit up and down for me. It's almost a 4 but i think it sits at a 3 simply because i don't really like enough of the tracks. Get Me Away and Seeing Other People are really great... the others start to drop a bit from this.

This one took a while to grow on me but I really like it.

Not a fan

Musically lovely, and a very nice listen overall. Not a fan of Stuart Murdoch's affected, Ray Davies-light style of vocal. Fave Songs: Me and the Major; Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying; Like Dylan in the Movies; The Boy Done Wrong Again; The Stars of Track and Field

To chyba dobry czas na przerwe, bo kolejny jakosciowy pick, a jakos nie jestem w stanie wykrzesac nic na jego temat, if you're feeling sinister jest drugim albumem w dyskografii szkockiej bandy Belle and Sebastian z 1996, wiki okresla plyte jako indyjski pop, ale wydaje mi sie bardziej adekwatne okreslenie indyjskiego rokowania w tym przypadku, bo jesli wokale sa dosc popowe, to jednak kontent liryczny jest zbyt ambitny jak na muzyke popularna, tak samo ma sie sprawa aranzacji instrumentalnych ktore mozna osluchac na tym albumie, ciekawe blendy grania akustycznego i elektryka, podane w ciekawych proporcjach, co najlepiej slychac na like dylan in the movies, swietne wymiany pomiedzy gitara elektryczna a akustyczna, z dodatkiem smyczkow i klawiszy, zwienczone dzwiekami cymbalkowymi, a to wszystko na dynamicznym cztero minutowym traku, wiec jednak zamykajacym sie w standardzie popowym, bande tworzylo w czasie nagrania 8 osob, glownym wokalem i teksciarzem byl pan Stuart Murdoch, ktory klika rowniez w klawisze i szarpie gitarke, mam dziwne uczucie, ze jest to praca jednej osoby, az tak charyzmatycznie i imtymnie brzmia niektore z tekstow, wiec moze to jeden z pozytywnych dyktatorow bandowych, dodatkowo obdazony glosem zblizonym do Nicka Drake, nie wiem to z powodu barwy, czy tez same teksty jakos niosa w sobie odrobine glebokiego smutku ktore sa tak tozsame z Drakiem, ale jednak nie penetrujace tak gleboko, co do plejkowych pickow, to dodam openingowego the stars of the track & field i najbardziej osluchany utwor z tego 41 minutowego materialu wedlug spotifaja, czyli get me away from here, im dying, nadal nie jestem przekonany do tagu popowego ktory przylegl do tego albumu, ale slucha sie go jednoczesnie latwo, ale zaden z 10 trakow nie wydaje sie byc tutaj wcisniety na sile, a plyta potrafi zaskoczyc z piosenki na piosenke, wiec dobra odmiana od salsowatych rytmow dnia wczorajszego i idealny pick na wieczor w nowej celi, przez co pewnie na dluzej zapadnie mi calosc w pamiec

Pretty sleepy...

This is the second Belle & Sebastian album I’ve rated as a part of the 1001 albums. This really good (much better than the other) and I may have to go back and listen to all of their albums now.

One of their very best.

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.

It's good, but as I put in the Tiger Milk comment: this is a band that I like but I really have to be in the mood for. I can't just listen to this on a whim.

If a band was punch able this would be it!

So dull, even the singer sounds bored with it. The nadir is "The Boy Done Wrong Again" - 4:17 of utter tedium. Terrible.

Jingly Indgly

more pointdexter than sinister

Una o dos canciones son buenas, pero todo un disco con la misma voz y el mismo sonidito indie... meh

4/5

I think people I know like B&S? I don’t think I did.

Pretty good Folk pop

Good mellow mood music

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.

Well, it's not all "sad bastard music," as Jack Black called in in High Fidelity. But some of it is. I get a folky vibe from this album, like something that would have sprung out of the 60s. Good title. It's a jaunty, light, musical album, but that title track is a downer.

First listen. I’ve heard the Tigermilk album before because of this list. I think this one has a better vibe.

Really enjoyed this one.

Fun early twee indie but they only get better from here

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

It was an ok listen overall, the themes of discovering oneself and experimentation in all kinds of forms. A witty insight into the youth of the mid-90s that takes some inspiration from the past and can undoubtedly inspire future generations. Best: If You're Feeling Sinister Worst: Like Dylan in the Movies

Don't know much about B&S except they seem a bit fey and bedwetting. However I quite like this...I did a bit of a Google and its considered their masterpiece....will try again with others. I like the different textures of the melody lines and the tunes are well hummable. Success. 3.5 but I'm gonna give it a 4. (Played it again. Still good. Still a 4)

Soft, mellow acoustic sound. Faded into the background as I worked to be honest. I like the singers gentle vocals.

It's like a stock photo. I might agree that it's well-done, great even. But I'll forget about it after an hour.

I farted on this LP

Pleasant indie music. Need to give more listens. 7/10

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.

I loved this one! Such witty writing.

Beautifully produced indy pop with interesting lyrics

Kind of boring; poor singing and a bit of a snoozer. 4/10

bit nothingy

Never heard of Belle & Sebastian and must say they're not bad. Its very relaxing and pleasant music. If You're Feeling Sinister started really well but I started to lose interest by the end. Favourite songs were Seeing Other People and Me And The Major.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as Tiger Milk, but the singer’s sing song, matter of fact, sitting around a campfire approach is endearing and makes for an easy listen.

Pleasant but a bit boring if I'm honest.

Again, no.

Mjög kósí, tilvalin á viðburðarlitlum mánudagsmorgni.

A bit more of an interesting album. Pretty indie alternative feel to it like car seat headrest or neutral milk hotel. Some of the songs are a bit deeper and darker. Not necessarily bad but idk how much is listen to it. 4.8/10

Nice, chill stuff, fun lyrics

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.

another vocal duo. Nothing new under the sun

It's like prog-rock, but instead of the musical parts being complicated, you just strum three chords and say every single word that comes to your mind. Bleh.

Sí, sí, cute, sweet, pipipí pero lo quería sacar. Si quiero irme del álbum, entonces no va.

Love love love it. Simply beautiful

Bueno

90’er indie pop, akustisk guitar, stemningsfyldt

A little Velvet Underground, a little Nick Drake vibe. Twee AF.

Ehkä vähän kivempi kuin Tigermilk, lepposaa aamun taustamusaa mut ei sen kummempia tunteita nostattava.

An enjoyable album. The main vocalist's voice went from nice to grating depending on the mood I was in, so it's a fine line. Relatively calm and relaxed, overall a nice album.

Always thought B&S were a bit fey and lightweight back in the day (Murdoch's voice is not exactly a giant death metal baritone, is it?), though on listening to this album in full I find myself well disposed towards it. Maybe I've just aged into them or something. I don't know.

A solid step up from their debut. It doesn’t always have the most interesting arrangement, but the songwriting is nice and tight, and the melodies are such crazy ear worms.

Great vibes again, but no standouts to push it to 5 on this one.

Tweee2

Nice and quite twee. It sounds a bit spare with mostly acoustic guitar and voice. Strings get my ears to perk up, and this could be a grower. But I'm not immediately inspired to return.

(ￗ﹏ￗ )

Coolos.

cet album et moi étions sur la même vibration spirituelle au moment précis où je l'ai écouté je pense

It started with some fun songs, but it became normal and boring fast. Too "hipster" for me I guess, don't know why it earned a spot on this list. Production of the album is good, tho. Favorite tracks: * Mayfly * Judy And The Dream Of Horses * Seeing Other People

ah, eu gostei. acho que vou procurar sobre os outros trabalhos, fiquei instigada. não sei pq mas a primeira música me lembrou bastante do sufjan stevens KKKK

Energia positiva pra ouvir no domingo, mas nenhuma música muito chiclete.

B&S are a gap in my knowledge. They came along during the period that I did not listen to new music, and I think I generally agreed (based on my ignorance of their work) with Jack Black's opinion in High Fidelity that they were "old sad bastard music". Maybe because I, too, am now an old sad bastard, I understand the appeal of this record now. I like to quick and dirty recording style, with a production style with ambitions towards a lush aesthetic (on a budget). It is clearly in the tradition that grows from the more whimsical end of the Velvet Underground's oeuvre, which appeals to me. It starts to wash over me a bit after a whole album but enjoyed it more than I expected.

"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.

Even though I really like Belle and Sebastian, this is not the album for me. The lyrics are already great, but for me, Belle and Sebastian still had to grow musically which they more did on their albums following this, Tigermilk and especially The Boy With The Arab Strap.

Yuck

Didn’t enjoy the music or vocals much. Kind of meh

An indie classic! Favorites: Get Me Away, I'm Dying; If You're Feeling Sinister

Feels like The Kinks on speed. Probably a 4.5

A soothing listen that I doubt will annoy anyone. But it is incredibly average from all angles: songwriting, vocals, instrumentation, production. Nothing to really wow the lister.

Decent easy listening but fails to leave a bigger impression

Nice listen

sounded like smiths, not bad

Who are these people? Never even heard of this band. But, wow. Great stuff. My least favorite song was the first and I thought this was going to be a slog but after that it's nothing but slaps all the way through. Government funded art, I like it in this instance! Would definitely recommend

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Seeing Other People; Me and the Major; Like Dylan in the Movies; The Fox in the Snow; Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying; If You're Feeling Sinister; Mayfly; Judy and the Dream of Horses Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Very sweet melodies, lyrics not so sweet but great nonetheless. 4.5 rounded down

Pleasant easy-enough-to-listen-to songs without any real highs. I don't like the singer's singing-style - he sounds stiff and unemontional. 2/5.

Ha sido una experiencia complejo oír este disco en este momento. A pesar del ritmo de las canciones cuentan cosas tristes o muy tristes. Y sin embargo es un gran disco que merece la pena ser oído y pensar en esos años 90. Desde "The stars of track & field", "Me and the Major", "Like Dylan in the movies", "The fox in the snow" una de mis favoritas y "If you're feeling sinister".

If this is 1 of 1001 albums I should listen to before I die, I'm dreading some of the others. Who decides this shit? A very mediocre album but I managed to listen to it all the way through.

i wish i could give this a higher score but for me the vocals really detracted in a lot of places, the performance just sounds kind of phoned in. however, this is otherwise a great indie album that I could definitely see myself listening to again. I loved Like Dylan in the Movies. 7/10

6/10. Another cloudy day on the British Isles.

The soft timbre of the vocals gave the whole album a more personal feel. 7/10

Didn’t hear anything special.

-The horns in “The Stars Of Track And Field” were interesting. -The harmonica do be jamming on “Me and The Major," and the song is generally catchy and good -Some moderately interesting guitar riffs in “Like Dylan In The Movies,” but it is still kinda boring and slow honestly -"Judy And The Dream Of Horses" picks up to an okay pace but it's still pretty slow -Idk kinda really boring and slow I think it might be a 2

Pretty average but with some decent melodies.

I like it a lot. Great album. 4 So close to a 5, "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying" with "If You're Feeling Sinister" is so good!

This was interesting but not sure if I would listen to it again.

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.

I liked this better than the past installment but this band is still just not my thing. I think the tone of both music and singing get really monotonous through the length of an album.

If You're Feeling Sinister is certainly not one of my favorite Belle & Sebastian albums. The middle sector ("Like Dylan in the Movies", "The Fox in the Snow", "Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying" and "If You're Feeling Sinister") is good, the other tracks are not that impressive.

not my favorite but still good

Boring music for boring people.

frekar svona mellow

I just don't like his voice that much.

Rating: 5/10

Elska þetta band. Fannst gríðarlega gaman að fara aftur í menntó og slaka á í sófanum. Frábær plata!

Nice album, but nothing standout or special for me. "Like Dylan in the Movies" was my favourite song on the album

I should like this album. Belle and Sebastien are one of those 'heard lots about but never listened to' bands for me and this has a similar vibe to Neutral Milk Hotel, who I very much like, but for some reason it doesn't hit the same way. Possibly one to revisit at another time in a different mood but on first (and second because I felt like I was missing something) this is a little below average

Prior to listening to this, I was really vibing to New Mexican Doom Cult. I'm stating that, because it definitely influenced how I felt about this album. How did I feel about it? Well... It was meh, it was really, really meh. Just never kicked it into gear.

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.

I always think I’m going to love a band by this album more than I do.

Pop tranquilo, suave y melódico. Armonioso. Sin destacar especialmente, pero que se puede escuchar.

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.

Like Dylan in the movies!

Überflüssig.

This one didn't do much for me. It had some good lyrics, but the music didn't move me at all.

This is the second recommendation for Belle and Sebastian from this list and at least the fourth of fifth album I've listened to as a whole from the band. I like the band in general. My introduction to the band was later in their carreer. The tracks on this album are easily identifiable as connected to the band I came to know. "Like Dylan in the Movies", "Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying", and "The Boy Done Wrong Again" were the tracks that stood out to me the most. This album gets 3.5 stars from me (rounding up to 4).

Superb. just fantastic all round

Sounds pretty similar to their other work, which I like. Definitely a nice album, but I somehow enjoyed it less. Maybe a bit pretentious?

I'm beginning to realise that Belle and Sebastian aren't quite as twee as I first thought. I liked this, but I get the feeling there are better B&S albums.

Don't are for it at all. At least who they are now.

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.

Booring

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

Recuerdo muy claro este disco de por ahí cuando tendríamos unos 15 años y como era el furor del indie. Recuerdo que nunca me gusto, en su momento no me llamaba la atención en lo más mínimo, con el tiempo solo lo vi como algo que sonaba pretencioso y como un ícono del inicio de los hipsters. Ahora con más tiempo para realmente darle chance puedo decir que... mi opinión no ha cambiado mucho. Un disco que tiene letras a ratos entretenidas que podrían ser historias bien contadas pero que se las lleva a puntos de capricho y pretensión. Música que se siente quiere escucharse retro a huevo por escucharse retro y sentirse muy avanzado, como si mezclaras a los Smiths y a Simon&Garfunkel. Siento que por un lado es un album "bien hecho" pero que todo lo que propone son cosas que a mí de manera personal como que me caen medio mal.

Lo primero que me sorprendió es que el disco es de 1996 y canciones como The Stars of Track & Field y Judy and the Dream of Horses las ubico alrededor del 2004-2006, por lo que podríamos decir que son proto-indie, indie como lo conocemos en ese periodo. Y también podemos decir que aunque es bueno estoy lejos de ser su más fiel admirador. Sus canciones son lindas y el disco funciona completo aunque llega un momento que se siente soso. Lo salva que termina con Judy. 3.5 estrellas que bajo a 3.

Me gustan más o menos Belle & Sebastian pero la verdad es que un disco entero de ellos ya de entrada me parece pesado, pero además, no me encanta que tome un lugar en la lista. Si bien, quizá tenga el mérito de ser uno de los primeros discos de la ola que empezó más o menos en el 2000 de bandas indie.

It was alright

Feels like this band makes music exclusively for Wes Anderson films.

2.5

Nice and mellow, easy listening

Didn’t enjoy the album at all. I appreciate and commend the self expression, but I couldn’t get behind the repetitive sound and vulnerable vocal performance behind every song— I prefer more variety and skill expression..

Ömmmm bbabger?!

A very gentle indie classic

Really good! Gotta listen again.

Really just an OK album for me. Nothing that made me go WOW, but nothing to make me turn it off.

Not bad some good songs but nothing memorable.

While the music is acceptable for background duties, I found the affair a bit too eccentric for me to seek repeat listening.

Ist wirklich erstaunlich, welch gutes Songwriting die Schotten draufhaben; hab mich etwas an der allzu seichten & over-wimpy Art überhört, auch das schweineorgelige der verhallten Retro-Gitarren, das ich einst so klasse fand, find ich ein wenig dünn, ausgewaschen, wie ein Lieblings T-Shirt, zu welchem man aber dennoch immer wieder gerne greift und einen Snoopy Tanz zu den melancholischen Peanuts-Piano Klängen hinlegt. forever 4.2

Die lakonische Poesie, die gute Beobachtung, die Milde und natürlich der Witz - all das fließt mir hier mit dieser vermeintlichen Leichtigkeit entgegen: Was für eine wunderschöne Platte! Stimme in allem überein und gebe fast nur deshalb nicht schon wieder 5 Punkte weil ich das beim letzten Mal (für die Tigermilk) schon getan habe. Bescheuerter Grund, aber die Alltagsweisen aus Glasgow würden mir verzeihen. Diesmal neu entdeckt: Stuart Murdoch klingt streckenweise wie eine lispelnde Nico. Toll!

Some good songs A but relentlessly similar Shouldni add or remove a star for the styli phone?

Mislim da mi je to njihov najbolji. Ima taman jedan dio albuma gdje su 3-4 pjesme odlične, inače šteta šta nije općenito cijeli album takav, glas me zna baciti na stranu, ali opet...mislim da ne bi toliko trebalo utjecati na rejting.

Jeben ko i svaki njihov, al dost je davanja ocjena šakom i kapom, nastavljamo realno kao i do prije par dana.

Although I like this album a lot, and it's touted as being B&S's finest moment, its just not as good as Tigermilk (which is up there in my top five all time favourite albums) or The Boy With the Arab Strap. Fox in the Snow is beautiful. I love this band so much.

Good, but boring at times. Favorite track is probably If You're Feeling Sinister

FOlky, led to all the indie garbage that came after. Decent tho

Gentle, melodic, indie pleasantry. this and Boy with the Arab Strap are perfectly created indie masterpieces

Jangly indie pop with often amusing lyrics telling tales of everyday life from the perspective of various characters. Reminiscent of the Smiths, but with less bite both lyrically and musically. A pleasant and interesting listen. 3.5/5.

I prefer the later Belle and Sebastian albums, but it's nice to see the roots of what was to come

Nah. I don't vibe.

Been a fan of Belle and Sebastian, this is their best.

Not my cup of tea

mellow and pretty

Nice, interesting melodies

Love Belle and Sebastian's quirky very Scottish take on pop, their lyrics are outstanding poetry. "Words are Mightier than the sword and I could Kill you but with these words I would just make you cry!" lovely stuff. Favourite Track: Judy And The Dream Of Horses!

I don’t really know a lot of it was boring but it also seemed chaotic in a way where they tried to just put a lot of sounds and instruments together to make it sound cool but I did like it overall

My first introduction to Belle & Sebastian was when Jack Black came into my record shop in Chicago singing "Jacob's Ladder" from Rush's Permanent Waves (which would be an automatic 5 stars stop the presses if it were in this top-1001 list which it damn well should be holy hell who put this list together anyways) and in mid-Lifeson-solo he stopped and asked me, and I quote, "holy shiite - what the fuck is that?" and I told him it's the new B... crap, no, that wasn't me. But still, that really was my first exposure to this old sad-bastard music and maybe I wasn't (yet?) an old sad bastard so I didn't hear them again for years. First off, let's put out there that Stuart Murdoch's vocals are tough. I'm not saying bad, I repeat: tough. My formative years were cut on either screechy, loud, or faux-macho (or sometimes all three) LEAD SINGERS, not the introverted sort that are what B&S is almost exclusively about. Now that's exactly what took me a long time to "get" and then - yes - like this group. They are introverted. They're introspective. And the music itself is kindasorta perfect for his voice. Or it may be the other way around. I just had a funny thought of David Lee Roth being tasked with singing for this band. I suspect these songs would sound pretty much exactly the same live in your living room, if any such weird occurrence like the band showing up at your house happened. The sound is small, dry, tight, and filled with haunting major 7ths and minor chords, all with a bit of polite emo vocals over and in-between it all. I love the melodies and although it's a stretch to call any of it exciting, it really sticks with you and upon repeat listens gets better and better. This album fits and is a particular mood and setting. That setting is kinda up to you but I'm thinking Saturday morning pouring rain, drinking coffee - just staring out a window somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. I would go for that right now in a second. Keeper. 7/10 4 stars

good album...not distinctive to me, but solid folk sound.

Still a classic

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

Chill vibes for a chill work day up 1 Canada Square 😎 A bit meh, though - too many tracks sounded too similar for my liking. Fav new song - If You're Feeling Sinister

A band that should have been part of my youth, luckily I discovered them later in life and love them, first time I have ever listened to an album of theirs from start to finish and what a great one.

Indie animado. No está mal...

Kinda boring.

O segundo álbum destes senhores que tenho o prazer de ouvir. O Tigermilk pareceu me um album mais sólido. Este parece mais semelhante, mas não fica muito atrás do tigermilk. Nota: 5/10

Tres bon album bien realise. A reecouter avec Marie. :) 4

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.

The lyrics and songwriting are pretty good. There's some solid storytelling going on, but I just don't really vibe with the music itself as much as I'd like.

Belle And Sebastian And Donovan 3.5

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

-Definitely not my cup of tea. - I'm not exactly sure why I HAVE to listen to this one before I die

This is the second Belle and Sebastian album that I've gotten on this list, and I enjoyed Tiger Milk a lot better. There wasn't anything wrong with this album, but it also felt really short and wasn't as interesting as their other work 3/5

Favoriete nummers: - The stars of track & field

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;

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.

Fairly non-impressive baseline bleats. I like some on other albums

I loved this

Pretty middle of the road and generic indie music. Might have been more unique when released, but now sounds pretty bog standard.

Showing off their prowess for sweet, bedroom/chamber pop Belle & Sebastian have one of their strongest albums in "If You're Feeling Sinister". Lyrically, the songs go from sweet, innocent stories to the melancholy with deftness and aplomb. While not as produced as future records, this album puts the focus squarely on the music and ambience.

I like how upbeat this album is, I get a the smiths vibe.

I had not heard of this band or any the songs on this album. It is an ok album. Nothing memorable about it.

I literally just finished listening to this album 10 minutes ago and have no recollection of any of the songs. So there's that.

Narrowly escaped a 1 star this did

Lots of universal love for this album, but I personally don’t get the hype. Perhaps I’m missing something. Pleasant enough, but just OK at best.

No me gustó pero tampoco me disgustó. Tiene unas pinceladas interesantes.

Como que quería conectar pero al final nel

Pretty good. Fell into the background a bit, but enjoyable.

I love this album! lets see how it holds up.

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

Kinda slaps. Sad vibes

Not my fav of theirs but some great songs

Had this on repeat all day! Loved the lyrics and indie pop sensibilities. Definitely heavily influenced the following decades of indie music.

Ohhhhhhhh. This is what all those indie girls in college were listening to. I think I would like this more before this became a kind of manic pixie genre on to itself.

Not for me

Indie pop? Yes Please slightly more on the folky-ish side compared to other indie pop

Pleasant chamber pop from the mid 90s - carefully crafted and delicately delivered, Belle & Sebastian succeed here on creating modern pop that stands the test of time

Nice chill music

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 like it, chilled out album that’s easy to listen to. Like the addition of some of the brass instruments but the album doesn’t really go anywhere.

Not a bad album, not one I’d revisit readily, can see how they’ve influenced other bands such as Stornaway from the 00’s. It’s 3 star at best.

Lite The Smiths + Nick Drake, lågmält och mysigt. Jättefina låttitlar. Bästa låtar: Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying och Like Dylan in the Movies. Förutom de två tyvärr ganska slätstruket och tråkigt.

Mellow singer-songwriter album with some fun ideas.

chillig

Kinda indie. Uses a lot of acoustic guitar. Very quiet and almost peaceful. Indie, but not very different. It's like the album is trying to rub no one the wrong way. Repetitive and a bit boring. For me at least.

Not necessarily my cup of tea, but I can recognize the significance of it. Enjoyable enough songs, but I probably won't listen again.

Really nice album. Good lyrics and enjoyable acoustic vibe. Liked the introduction to the band too.

I liked the album. Not something that I would have stumbled upon myself. Highlights: Mayfly, Like Dylan in the Movies

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.

some songs have interesting music but does feel a bit samey

Muy divertido

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.

First time listening to this entire album. I think I would have liked listening to this whole thing more back in like 2004 when I was really getting into indie music. It's nice but kinda boring. I used to love Like Dylan in the Movies tho! Yeah overall this shit is boring and I'm excited for it to be over.

Giving me all the nostalgia but the album is pretty boring tbh.

Better than I thought it’d be. But probably won’t bother with it again.

Meh. It's OK, reminiscent of Lou Reed's Coney Island Baby period.

Bit durgy and nothing for me

I dig.

Ok

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.

It was eh, not great

Original but not amazing.

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.

I just really feel like this album excels in so many categories: lyrics, composition, big time mood.

Шотландский инди-поп-фолк. Буду изучать дальше.

Sinister plays like a great forgotten album, couched in '80s indie, '90s attitude, and '60s folk-pop. It's beautifully out of time, and even if other Belle & Sebastian albums sound like it, this is where they achieved a sense of grace.

Me and the Major and Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying are probably my two favorite pieces. Feels like a pretty good late night album.

Just a lovely feel good album. B&S are definitely a band for a hot summers day BBQ so listening to them when it’s horrible weather elicits some mixed feelings from me. Really nice though.

nice innit. i want to do a joke about them hacking their way into the list but its here on merit over most the stuff i've had to endure.

Solid - thought the lyrics were quite clever, title track was excellent. Would go nicely with a cuppa on a Sunday morning.

If the guy stopped sucking dick to sing, could be better. Still too much soy... Pass

Nice calming album after the previous few. Definite closing-scene-in-a-tv-show-after-a-sad-cliffhanger vibes. Very basic instrumentation and sometimes a bit samey but good songwriting. Would put it on during a rainy Sunday morning but not much more.

Didn’t like this one

Boring

Love it.

Leuke ontdekking.

Niet speciaal, maar genietbaar

At some point in college I remember a google or Yahoo! search for "bands like Arcade Fire" and Belle & Sebastian came up. With that framing, I was disappointed with their gentle sound and affectless vocals, and naturally put them on the shelf forever, except for a few enjoyable spins of The Boy With The Arab Strap. After listening to this record, I don't feel like I missed anything special with them. This is the soft corner of indie that I have a knee jerk reaction against, but there's no good reason. To go pop psychology on it, I think they make me think of a side of myself I don't always welcome - overly sensitive, mild, modest - and don't need a soundtrack for. It reminds me of seeing The Mountain Goats with Matt and Nick, and leaning to Matt and saying "these guys have no spine" (which btw I regret on a few levels, but most of all for poisoning a nice show with positive energy). I was too into Queens of the Stone Age at the time, B&S's polar opposite. The irony of this review is its exactly the type of inward rumination that Belle & Sebastian would write about. In the spirit of self acceptance, this is a lovely album. Pretty tunes. Fits in some odd space between Nick Drake and Morrissey. Somehow not emoting becomes emotoing. It's light. It's a bit precious. It's forgiving. It's sunny outside. B

Love Belle and Sebastian and their lispy British, gentle hipster anthems for the artsy set, set to upbeat major chord folk/rock/pop and talking about sad things. I find that their albums can be a combo of huge hits and huge misses, some songs blow me away, are almost perfect, others do nothing for me. This album is that album for me. A couple fives, a couple 4s, many 3s. The voice is charming, as always, the tunes mostly catchy, it’s a nice listen, however “The Boy With the Arab Strap” and especially “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” are so much better and are complete albums where almost everything is solid/catchy. Therefore, despite the few gems “Seeing Other People” and “If You’re Feeling Sinister,” this album is just mediocre.

Can't believe this album was produced a quarter of a century ago. If I had to pick one word to describe Belle & Sebastian it would have to be "precious". There's just such a preciousness about them that would generally lead me to write them off. But I've always liked them and "stars of track and field" was my first exposure either sometime late high school or early college.

It's good but I know it already!

I often go to the park alone at night and eat Quavers whilst masturbating and watching the ducks swimming in the pond. I've never been caught. I honestly believe there's nothing wrong with it and the little show off ducks enjoy the attention. So, what are you going to do about it?

Tender and light, these songs are wonderful listens. Carried mostly by the thoughtful songwriting and Stuart Murdoch's soft vocal deliveries, this album is sinister in intent only. Sneaking out at night to meet a friend or a lover, having harmless fun under a full moon, and eventually parting with bittersweet feelings. It's a nice album :)

Liked it. Singer-songwriter acoustic vibe. Trumpet on some songs was a nice touch.

🦀 Just songs that are on in indie movies about heartbreak and finding yourself. Maybe a guy is in love, with the quirky new girl, but you later find out he was touched by the P.E teacher when he was 6 and the quirky girl is his daughter. I might write that actually.

Pleasant

Ik weet dat het goed zou moeten zijn, maar nooit mijn ding geweest.

Mjah, zeker niet slecht. Maar het kabbelt teveel en die zang gaat per nummer steeds meer irriteren.