Customer Reviews

This Is Just a Modern Rock / Slow Graffiti

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

4 and a half stars, really. And at the time, they were actually six boys and two girls... but anyway. Yes, twelve dollars plus shipping is a lot to pay for four songs, but in this case, you should strongly consider it. "This is Just a Modern Rock Song" is one of the best songs Belle & Sebastian have ever recorded, and indeed, one of the best songs of the 1990's. It is a sonic epic along the lines of "Hey Jude" or "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (hyperbole not present), and the beauty of it is, they're not even aiming there. Seven-minute songs nowadays tend to be pretentious, grandiose, derivative, and devoid of subtlety, musical or lyrical.... "Modern Rock Song" is none of those things... it's honesty and simplicity are its greatness.

The other three songs are top-notch B&S as well. On the whole, I'd say this EP provides more essential listening than all of "Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant". Shop accordingly...

You can never go wrong with Belle & Sebastian. With every release, I find myself saying "This is better then their last" and they have not made one bad release yet (If you disclude the horrid side projects). With "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song", we see the group exploring different aspects of folk and writing their best lyrics yet. People like me who thought "If You're Feeling Sinister" was their best album will definitely enjoy this E.P.

The E.P. opens with the title track, a slow paced western folk song which contains my favorite vocals in Belle & Sebastian and favorite lyric "I am not as sad as Dostoevsky, I'm not as clever as Mark Twain". This song represents how beautiful and grand a song can be with little effort. Primo production work. Next is "I Know Where The Summer Goes" with its church based organ and one beat drums sending you to a nice summer day. "The Gate" which features Isobel's vocals is even better then her vocal debut on "Is It Wicked Not To Care?" on their 1998 album "The Boy With The Arab Strap". I aboustley love the piano and trumpet section, the kind of heavenly movement that one might expect from Handel. The ending is the main reward, "Slow Graffiti", one of my favorite Belle & Sebastian tracks. Stuart's melancholy vocals over a lonely piano and echoing guitars.

As I say everytime I mention a Belle & Sebastian release, get everything you can by them! However this E.P. remains my favorite out of the rest because it touches all the musical aspects of Belle & Sebastian and has the feel and pleasure of a full length album.

Slow Graffiti is one of the best songs ever recorded....I'm not a huge Belle and Sebastian fan, but this song is truly amazing...

I can only really review the first song on this release as it's been on repeat on my CD player for that long that I haven't got around to track 2 yet (it's that good). It does start off quiet but builds up to an almighty climax. Well thought out lyrics as well. Buy it, it's worth it for track one by itself. The video's good too if you get a chance to see it

Few bands mastered the art of the short length like B&S, putting forth output in the spirit of their retro recordings in earlier days.

Ah, the infamous EP left out of the "Lazy Line Painter Jane" ep-set. And for good reason, folks. No, this is not a bad EP, this is a WONDERFUL, TEAR-JEARKING, and MOVING EP by Belle and Sebastian. The first song is worth it all....starting from a single repeated strum of guitar, working itself into a slow moving amalgam of stings, drums, murdoch's crooning voice, and the horns (of course). Belle and Sebastian want to keep this EP on the down-low, or else we all would know who they really are: moving, smart, witty, and incredible songwriters who know how to make perfection in pop music.

The Beatles had "Hey Jude". The Rolling Stones had "You Can't Always Get What You Want". The Smiths had "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". Soft Cell had "Tainted Love". Wham had "Careless Whispers".

And Belle & Sebastian, thankfully, have "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song". There is simply no reason to attempt living without this excellent single.

Forget every other single that came out this year. This is just the best modern rock song of 1998. The opener (title) and last song are the highlights on the cd, while Isobella provides a nice 3rd song, though I'm the first to admit, she's an aquired taste. Even if it only had the title track though, its honesty, build up and come down (over 7 whole minutes!) might just make you play this one song over and over again. Can't wait for tigermilk.

What can I say? This band rocks!

too cool for words.

Coming off of Boy with the Arab Strap, this is Belle & Sebastian at their finest moment. Four perfectly produced songs, each expressing a different ideal of indie-pop glory.