Sinister: some more dcw reviews

[chris_t_opher]

people,

i just wrote this for Comes with a Smile (www.comeswithasmile.com) and
anyone here with time to waste:

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Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade)

Heroes to many, a sad joke to others, Belle & Sebastian can inspire
both obsession and disgust from various quarters. That may be changing,
however, as 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' sees the band shedding their
middle-class, intellectual-only, folk image. In its place, these 12
tracks bring an all-new Belle & Sebastian: poppy, polished, confident,
realised and accessible. Step Into My Office, Baby is a cheeky and
playful opener, If She Wants Me is a light and fluffy sing-along, I'm A
Cuckoo is a blatant Thin Lizzy tribute and the closing track, Stay
Loose, would have been a sure-fire hit in the 80s. Though the band
denies Trevor Horn has heavily influenced their sound, much can be read
into their unflinching willingness to employ him in the first place.

For those old school fans currently despairing in their bedrooms, there
are a few (yes, just a few) tasty treats on offer. The almost-lost gem,
Lord Anthony, has thankfully been revived and will now stand alongside
countless early E.P. and album tracks as a classic. Piazza, New York
Catcher is a Donovan-esque acoustic song of sexual confusion and books
– things that made 'old' songs so great. However, they do feel like
something of a cop-out by Stuart Murdoch. For such an otherwise-radical
album, these 'traditional' tracks somehow feel out of place. 

Those who have remained loyal will probably feel disappointed upon the
first few listens and the album does have some 'grower' potential. But
whilst there are encouraging signs (Sarah Martin's blossoming voice,
Trevor Horn not destroying the band completely, Stuart Murdoch reigning
in songwriting controls) sparks of genius are few and far between –
especially considering this is Belle & Sebastian's longest album to
date. Overall, 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' is a sweeping change – too
drastic for many – to something almost completely unrecognisable as
that shy, retiring group from Glasgow. 

---

i also stumbled across rolling stone's review of dcw at
http://www.americanmary.com/press/thenational_ssfdl_RS934_ltr.jpg . 
the national's album next to it is very good by the way.

two posts in a month. i must be unemployed or something...
c.

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