Sinister: Gentle Waves (my God! he used the actual proper name!) review

[Alasdair Cook MS1996]

Here, for anyone who's interested, is a rather nice review of the
Glasgow gig on Saturday from the Glasgow Herald.

Belle and Sebastian's cellist and vocalist, Bel Campbell, has made a
solo album under the name The Gentle Waves. Critics who pretend to
regret that B&S triumphed over the group Steps at the Brit Awards detect
in The Green Fields of Foreverland a fey indie-girl indulging in an
Edwardian hippy picnic, and this on the strength of the title alone. But
the true and now considerable B&S fanbase is highly motivated. A girl in
the audience, announces Stuart Murdoch, has followed the Gentle Waves to
Leeds, London, and Cardiff, apparently finding the latter gig cancelled
("Say you're sorry!" calls a voice).
 Allowing Mr Murdoch to romp after this particular stick on his own, Bel
busies herself with her role as band leader, introducing Margaret Smith
(flute, xylophone, etc) pointing out that we already know everyone else.
And indeed, the rest of the seven-piece band are all members of the
Belle & Sebastian collective. However, the Gentle Waves turns out not to
be B&S beneath a shifting spotlight. At it's heart is Bel's small, soft
voice. Around her, the band move from one instrument to another,
sympathetically changing the textures from a loping country bass and
slide guitar to glittering arpeggio with muted horn and flute. The
timeless scene is set by two short French movies : The Red Balloon and
Truffaut's Les Mistons. Stories of naive grace, love misunderstood, loss
and understanding, light and darkness. The chanteuse is dressed in
black, the model of a student teacher in mid-calf pleated skirt. She
sings Evensong in French translation, or perhaps that is how she wrote
it. The Gentle Waves: not so much a gig as an event. (By Peter Easton)

Also, do Chris and Keith know that Chas and Dave are playing at the
Cottier Theatre on Monday? Perhaps you could pick up some tips on how to
keep your rabbits going for longer.

That's all.

Alasdair x
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