Never in a million years would I have expected Belle & Sebastian to release a fun record like this. In fact, a criticism of What to Look for in Summer, the band's new live album, out now on Matador, is that the players and audiences are having just too much fun. One almost can't believe that this is the same Belle & Sebastian that earned so many fans with If You're Feeling Sinister more than two decades ago.
Recorded over the course of mostly American dates last year, this double-album is a largely enjoyable affair, blending upbeat numbers with surprisingly lively runs at earlier stuff. "Seeing Other People", for instance, is elegant and spacious here, nearly a crowd-pleaser that's lost none of its intimacy, while "Step Into My Office, Baby" is, as expected, a big pop tune. That one and "Funny Little Frog" are especially fun here, with these versions reaffirming the strengths of these compositions, and the resilience of their construction that allows them to be stretched into rousing renditions like those here.
What to Look for in Summer has time for more moody offerings, with "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John" from Write About Love being a real down-tempo gem here, and an oddly crowd-pleasing one, enough that a listener almost wishes there was less audience noise on this one. "The Fox in the Snow" from If You're Feeling Sinister is elegantly peformed here, with Stuart Murdoch's vocals adding a kind of maturity and world-weariness to the tune that it may have been lacking in its earlier versions. Similarly, his performance on "My Wandering Days are Over" is just as warm and engaing. That one, along with an epic "The Boy with the Arab Strap" remind just how adept B&S were around a big hook, and a fine chorus. Their brand of folk-y indie was at one point more introspective, yes, but it was always open to bigger arrangements and bolder moves. These versions here on What to Look for in Summer are all uniformly lovely, with a very few of these being such things that could cause even a long-time fan to revisit certain songs yet another time.
What to Look for Summer is out now via Matador Records.
More details on Belle & Sebastian via the official website.
[Photo: Matador Records]