Customer Reviews

Life Pursuit (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Long after Radiohead decided that traditional rock songs were "beneath" them and started their weird sojurn into God-knows-what and the pop-punk exoplosion of the late Nineties wilted on the vine, very little about modern music gets me excited enough to buy an album totally cold with no advance listens. Apart from Weezer last year and Death Cab for Cutie recently, I really haven't purchased a new release by a current band in a long time. But that all changed last week when I got "The Life Pursuit".

If you have the 2003 "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" disc (or the harder-to-find "Books" single from the following year) the new direction of B&S probably won't be much of a shock for you. It's not that the band has "turned their back" on what got them the devoted cult following they earned with more laid-back releases like "Tigermilk" or "If You're Feeling Sinister", but simply that they've opened their musical pallette to include Seventies glam and pomp (well, their versions of the two). And the combination is infectious if you let it in.

Sure, fans of their more acoustic material will feel betrayed, and I can sympathize with them if they feel Stuart Murdoch and the band are forgetting their roots. But it's senseless to hold Belle and Sebastian to a fixed style, when there have been hints of this kind of musical direction in previous releases (anyone recall "Electronic Renaissance"'s odd position on the Tigermilk record?). What's more, like any good artists the group brings something unexpected and new to the styles they've embraced.

That's called true artistry, folks. If the record wasn't half as enjoyable as it is, you might have a point.

But songs like "The Blues are Still Blue", "We are The Sleeyheads", "Funny Little Frog", and "White Collar Boy" are immensely likable on repeat listens, and the gems that emerge like "Mornington Crescent" and "Act of the Apostles (Parts I and II)" roll around in your head long after you've removed the disc from your CD player (which won't be for a while, of course). This is good music from a great band who continue to defy the expectations that were placed upon them a decade ago and still retain that special something which makes them a force to be reckoned with.

So pick up "The Life Pursuit" and enjoy listening to it on repeat, as there isn't a bad track on the entire disc. Rock music rarely gets this enjoyable or listenable these days, so treasures like "Pursuit" should be acknowledged. Otherwise, it's just the same old crap but with a different album cover. And that's the artistic kiss of death.

Yay! I just received the limited edition of B&S's "Life Pursuit" LP. While the album might be disappointing at first, it really does grow on you. It's more singular in vision than the last LP, which makes it very consistent and just as lovely, and in the end one of the band's finest achievements.

The songs themselves are more overtly seventies rock-and-pop (and funk), with "The Blues are Still Blue" probably being the high point. Of course, several cuts are very reminiscent of old Belle & Sebsatian ("Dress Up in You," "Funny Little Frog," "Another Sunny Day" -- though "Frog" is steeped in rocking piano accents and hip, poppy guitar lines). You will be disappointed if you're only looking for something akin to "Sinister" or "Fold Your Hands," however.

The DVD in this limited edition package is a bit of a surprise, considering the current price on amazon is only a little more over the standard, comparatively average CD set. Six songs from the album are performed live, rather well, with Stuart Murdoch (the imitable and quite lovely band leader) showing some serious charm. I think I might be even more in love with him than I was before. (The songs are "Another Sunny Day," "Dress Up in You," "To Be Myself Completely," "Mornington Crescent," "Funny Little Frog," and "White Collar Boy.")

The packaging is exactly like the deluxe version of "Push Barman": hardcover mini-book, except way more pictures and linear notes. A lot of the Q&A from the band's official website is in here, which at first I found unimpressive, but I'm fine with it now. Richard's answers to most everything are hilarious, and the very notion of putting such a thing in the linear notes shows how well connected B&S is to its fans.

Surely worth the purchase for anyone who loves the band. It doesn't particularly matter if you're a casual fan or not -- the deluxe version honestly isn't much more than the regular one, and the music is catchy and friendly enough to guarantee new fans. Highly recommended.

I find it quite odd that any Belle and Sebastian fan would come in here and give The Life Pursuit a one star. I truly can't figure out what fans expect of musicians. Some want an exact duplicate of previous efforts. Boring boring boring. Here Belle and Sebastian have released a great album of fresh and exciting new tunes. Admitingly, I raised an eyebrow at the first listen though now that I'm on my fourth listen, this stuff is great. It's uplifting and witty, as Belle and Sebastian have always been. It would seem to me that anybody complaining about this cd simply has a problem with change. Ironically, the cd really isn't much of a departure from their previous efforts. For those who want to complain, stick in 'If You're Feeling Sinister' and just listen to it over and over again. For those who are expecting Belle and Sebastian to grow musically with new fresh ideas, definitely get The Life Pursuit.

Why is it that everytime a new B&S album is released there are endless complaints about how it doesn't sound like If You're Feeling Sinister? If you said this when they released Boy with the Arab Stripe or Fold Your Hands... or Dear Catastrophe, Waitress then *this album is not for you.* Play your old copies of Sinister (and Tigermilk) and maybe download the live version of Sinister from I-Tunes, and leave the rest of us alone. As someone who has followed their career through its various winding paths, I don't need someone to tell me "this is not Sinister." Anyway, why would you trust someone who recommends that you abandon B&S because there are lots of other bands that sound just like them? In fact, one of the pleasures of the new album is that B&S sound more like a real band, a cohesive unit, than ever before (rather than Stuart Murdoch backed-up by his friends). There is a real joy in their music here, in the interaction between group members, that is beautifully captured in Tony Hoffer's production. A few tracks don't quite work for me at this point (esp. "For the price of a cup of teas") but so what? The album is full of stellar tracks ("Act of the apostle," "Dress up in you," "To be myself completely," "We are the sleepyheads") and the overall vibe is astonishing. Stark raving bliss.
BTW the bonus DVD is excellent too. Stuart is turning into a sex god (of sorts), swiveling his hips like a Scottish Tom Jones.

It seems that most reviewers can only frame their comments about a new Belle and Sebastian album in terms of the influences they can detect. Hey - that sounds like Thin Lizzy. Ah - now they're doing Sly Stone. This sounds like Glam Rock. Etc.

All that talk seems to be rubbish to me.

The band has always had their own sound, and they still do. The writing on this album is brilliant - both musically and lyrically. There are so many great songs - "Act of the Apostle," "Another Sunny Day," "White Collar Boy," "Funny Little Frog," "Mornington Crescent" - I could go on. The musicianship and production values are better than ever.

It's true, B&S have left their lo-fi sound behind. Have Stuart Murdoch & Co. forsaken their roots, or does each album bring them closer to realizing their original vision? Or does that vision continue to grow and take shape with each new album? Only they know for sure, but it doesn't really matter. It's all great stuff. Press "play" and enjoy it.

Allow me to preface this review by saying I am not a fan of Belle & Sebastian previous record Dear Catastrophe Waitress. I found it to be a bloated, pretentious wreck that lacked the organic and human tones of their prior works. With that said, The Life Pursuit is a triumphant return to excellence for the band.

The reason why? Stuart Murdoch and band haven't gone back to being cute and quiet, but they have brought their ambitious new sound back into the stratosphere of reason and moderation. Another Sunny Day is a perfect example of how to let a song run it's course without trying to add too many instruments or 'unique' elements. The phrase 'less brain, more heart' applies heavily to the song as well as the entire record.

The sound is still boisterous and upbeat but the band has stopped trying to write clever, calculated songs; they are content writing fun songs that work on their own merits. There is also a great deal of diversity amongst these songs which helps with repeat listens. The album gets better and better, unlike Catastrophe Waitress which got more annoying and annoying.

Overall it doesn't matter much what you thought of Catastrophe Waitress, the Life Pursuit is a much different album and deserves a look from any B&S fan. It might be a stretch to call it a mix between Catastrophe and If You're Feeling Sinister-era B&S but as far as sincerity and enjoyment go, The Life Pursuit brings the band back to their prior level of greatness.

Belle and Sebastian, the world's favorite seven piece Scottish indie-pop band, have been together since 1996, recording seven albums over the years. Stuart Murdoch and his six band mates have become favorites among cults and critics alike. On their new album, The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian throw 70's rock, sun kissed Cali-pop, glam, down-and-dirty funk, soul, and country together into the mixing pot.

Belle and Sebastian have been labeled with many terms, including twee pop, chamber pop, and literate, trying to describe their wide range of sound. In a nutshell, The Life Pursuit is one big party. A party filled with horns, Hammond organs, handclaps, synthesizers, flute, and even a funky serving of clavinet on "Song for Sunshine."

On The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian continue to explore their sound. There's a T-Rex style boogie on "The Blues Are Still Blue." There's a touch of Motown on "To Be Myself." The opening riff of "White Collar Boy" is reminiscent of Norman Greenbaum's "Spirt in the Sky." If you want to test yourself, listen to the ridiculously catchy "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" and try not to sing along. The two down-tempo tracks, "Dress Up In You" and the album closer, "Mornington Crescent" are both beautiful and fit in right in place, despite being surrounded by happy, catchy tunes.

The Life Pursuit is beautiful, bittersweet, catchy, and near perfect pop music. There is not a single weak track. Some standouts include "Another Sunny Day", "White Collar Boy", "The Blues Are Still Blue," "For The Price of Tea", and "Mornington Crescent."

Once in a blue moon, I try to pick up something new. A band that I had never heard of that I never had a clue that existed. Belle and Sebastian falls in the my previous catagory of ignoarance, in that I had never seen or heard of them. Looking at the beautiful packaging, I was enticed to give it a try, figuring it was a only a 12 dollar risk.

To my surprise, this scottish band is excellent! The sound is smooth, the lyrics are catchy and feel is just amazing. The sound felt so familiar yet this band is so good that I'm surprised I haven't heard of them before. This is definatly not a CD to over look, especially if you are a fan of Alternative, or Brit-pop. It's definately worth a shot if you're looking for something new.

Original discoverers of B&S (I commend you all for that) seem to feel betrayed by the growth of B&S over the years. The Life Pursuit is as good as anything they have ever done. Is it different, sure it is. The Beatles evolved and became even greater over the years. I don't see how anyone could not like tunes like "Funny Little Frog", "We Are The Sleepyheads", "White Collar Boy", "Dress Up In You" or "Sukie In The Graveyard". On top of that, Stevie contributes a gem in "To Be Myself Completely". If you felt that Tigermilk or Sinister were the best albums of all-time, that's great. However, compare "The Life Pursuit" to anything else being released in 2006 and I challenge you to find many complete albums as good as this. Even better, if you get the chance to see B&S live, they will blow you away with their musicianship and Stuart has become an engaging front man.

Belle & Sebastian is a great band and continues to be a great band. I look forward to their next release and tour.

Like The Smiths before them, Scottish act Belle And Sebastian have made their mark through not only through their clever and morose lyrics, but also via album covers that revel in old school monochrome charm. Leaving behind images of breastfeeding plush toys, imposing barmen and Asian concubines, Belle And Sebastian have added the shadowy image of three theatrical waifs to the cover of their seventh outing.
Head songwriter and vocalist Stuart Murdoch has a voice as muscular as a wilted nasturtium, but his lyrics have retained the knowing humour of past victories such as Step Into My Office Baby (which saw the band become Rage favourites for a time) and Legal Man. White Collar Boy's lyric of `you ain't ugly, you can kiss me if you like' adds to the tune's Scottish Shins charm, The Blues Are Still Blue (`I left my lady in the laundrette,' Stuart notes on the song) steps the swagger up to glam levels unmatched since David Bowie's The Jean Genie and finale Mornington Crescent has a weary piano tinkling while absurd lyrics about dogs wearing hats waft by.
You'd think that ditching former producer Trevor Horn for Tony Hoffer would lessen the chances of gloss and experimentation, but The Life Pursuit is a fine successor to Dear Catastrophe Waitress.
You can't help but wonder if the lyrics about art school arseholes on Sukie In The Graveyard are a riposte to the ripe talent of Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Maximo Park, but Murdoch's obscure ways with words (at their most kooky on current single Funny Little Frog, which has been revealed as a love song to a painting of the Virgin Mary) means that all allusions remain slyly concealed. Originally meant to be a two disc set until the band realised there's been bugger all good double albums ever released, tracks from The Life Pursuit are sure to go down a treat live.