Sinister: Kids in America

[Rask]

I think the pitchforkmedia review hits the nail right on the head, or in the
coffin. The thing about old B&S music was that you felt like you were being
let in on this little world. A world that was all slightly mysterious and
esoteric. The sharp and strange lyrics, the minimal productions, lovely
album covers, the little stories in the inlay card. When struan starts
writing an online diary about how he is considering taking his laptop out on
the bus and how bored he is, its the time when the songs start drifting away
from this little secret life they all used to lead and start instead singing
about legal men and offices. I think a lot of bands make the mistake of over
exposure. Call me old fashioned, but I remember the days when reading a
review in the NME(trash) or an interview was the nearest you ever got to
your band. And yes they held your interest for longer. As soon as i start
reading about what they had for breakfast its starts to seem like they are
looking for my attention as opposed to the other way around.

What strikes me about DCW is how over produced it is, step into my office,
would be so much nicer without all these distracting extra instruments. The
song that really stands out for me and I think everyone is Piazza, new york
catcher. And it is purely because it is back to struan doing what he does
best. Oblique lyrics with simple music and subject matter that no-one would
ever considered for a pop song. I also really like stay loose, which I
haven't heard many people mention. All in all I think it is a weaker album
than FYHCYWLAP, but pitchfork is right, if you came to B&S in the legalman
stages it sounds bubbly enough to be just another post modern sneer at a
bygone era or two, but that was never B&S at there best. I'll still buy it,
and I'll still sigh and wish stevie had left the band instead of Isobelle.

richard



P.S Belle and Sebastian have always been pretty small in britian whereas the
college radio stations in America have made them much bigger stateside. All
one has to do is look at the tour dates to see that.

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