Normally when a band releases an album of old EPs it’s perfectly acceptable to view it as a cynical cash-in - a pointless re-hash of dodgy b-sides. Belle & Sebastian are no ordinary band though. This ludicrously titled collection of EPs from a time when the Scottish collective were signed to the Jeepster label sticks two fingers firmly in the face of your average record company exec. Incredibly, just one track (“The State I Am In”) featured on an album – yet the quality control is always set to max.
If anything, this 25-song double set sees Belle & Sebastian at their finest; experimenting with different sounds and a variety of instruments to move seamlessly from 60s pop through folk to whimsy psychedelia, all held together by leader, Stuart Murdoch’s, clever lyricism.
They might be awkward, publicity-shy and undoubtedly precious, but Belle & Sebastian aren’t as twee as they are often portrayed. Witness the soaring retro swagger of “Lazy Line Painter Jane” – a catholic confessional building into an fantastic, orgasmic climax and who else could get away with a line like “a dose of thrush you got from licking railings”, without it sounding crass or trivial. Then there’s the downbeat but gorgeous melodies on the likes of “You Made Me Forget My Dreams” or the unabashed sunshine pop of “I Love My Car”, complete with orchestral sweeps and brass overload.
What Belle & Sebastian do best is elevate the ordinary into something remarkable. “This Is Just A Modern Rock Song” (as the title suggests) is a self-deprecating story of every day life but musically this seven-minute epic takes you to a beautiful world far away from the grotty reality of your humdrum existence.
These are the highlights but there’s plenty more to make this a worthy addition to any fan’s collection – and if you’ve yet to enter the dreamy otherworld of the vehemently independent Belle & Sebastian you could do a lot worse than starting right here.
by Chris Nye-Browne