Songs Of Love And Hate

I like to believe that if you don’t like Belle & Sebastian, you have no soul. Your heart is beating for the wrong reasons and you should put yourself and the rest of the world out of the misery fast and make it stop. Then again, I believe in redemption and second chances so I will take their latest album, Belle & Sebastian Write About Love, as something that might save you from perdition.

Sure, some might argue that non-believers will not be convinced by the eleven new tracks. The record is, after all, nothing new for the Scottish group and is not what one would call their best. Or a musical triumph. It’s actually average and feels to sugar-coated for many. It lacks the force of the Stuart Murdoch’s social comments. It is not even adventurous sound-wise and stays on territories the Glasgow-based band knows all too well: fizzy indie pop.

But what Write About Love lacks in development, it makes up for in artistry. And, while taken as a whole, it has its moments when you can’t help but call it ‘dull’, there are pieces that sparkle. Like the bittersweet disco-scented I Want The World To Stop with its shimmering drums, full-blasted chorus and backing vocals. There’s undeniable sweetness in the drums and pianos that create the main layer for the ode-to-simpler-things I Didn’t See It Coming. And while Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John, the Norah Jones featuring, is far too easy listening and quickly becomes one of those boring moments, the Carey Mulligan duet, Write About Love, feels like a little gem. Indeed, its 60s aesthetics make it a wonderful first single and, even if the lyrics are a bit gauche, it’s still hard not to see it as a perfect singalong.

What might upset some as well is the happy-go-lucky feel of the whole album. Yes, Belle & Sebastian are no longer writing sad songs and, as I’ve said before, there is a certain gaucheness in penning socially aware lines. But Write About Love is hardly an album the band should be ashamed of. Or the fans, for that matter of fact. Because if it’s one thing this record deserves applause for, besides some exquisite musical pieces, is the fact that is marks the return of one of Scotland’s best bands.