Hi there I'm in a bit of a tense mood today, so I won't say much, but I have to say something about the new album, don't I? After trying to resist the temptation of a preview tape, I failed hopelessly, so I've been listening to it for about a month now. Here are my considered opinions: I Fought In A War, The Model and There's Too Much Love are all GRATE, with a capital G, R, A, T, E. The first two songs are perhaps the best opening pair of songs they've done, so the rest was bound to be a bit disappointing. Waiting For The Moon To Rise is pretty cool, though the lyrics aren't that great. I don't think Don't Leave The Light On ... is as good as some people seem to, but it's pretty adventurous, and it makes you listen. I like the Chalet Lines, if you can really use such a weak word about a song about rape. It's not a singalong classic, but I think it's rather poignant. I'm quite fond of Nice Day For A Sulk too, although it will please a friend of mine who says that Belle and Sebastian songs all sound like Messing About On The River. Woman's Realm is a good song, but it really sums up what's wrong with the album, I think. It's been said before, by me as well, I think, but when you start to use an orchestra, the danger is that things get too orchestrated, and that's what's happened. I don't wan't Belle and Sebastian to be endearingly shambolic (well, mybe a bit), but I don't want their songs to be lifeless. I think the song's great, but the orchestration lets it down, and the handclaps on this sound like the're being played by John Shuttleworth on his Bontempi organ. I like Family Tree, and don't think you can really read much into it, so I won't bother. And.... Beyond the Sunrise isn't that bad. It doesn't fit on the album at all, it it's easily the weakest song and I don't know what the hell Stevie was thinking of with that accent, but it's got some lush heavenly voices on it, and that sort of think always tweaks my bells. So, in my opinion, it's certainly not Tigermilk or If You're Feeling Sinister, but I think it's more of an *album* than TBWTAS, rather than a collection of songs. The production's good, the orchestration is a little limp, but it's not terrible. And it's got some ace sleevenotes, too. Truly, Stuart Murdoch is a poet. Robin x +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+