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(Rough Trade, 2006)I happen to enjoy the snow, which is lucky cuz we’re havin’ a real humdinger here in New York City right now. Woo-ee! This is one wintry mix I’ll not soon forget! Time to warm my ears next to one last Belle and Sebastian single… let’s see… it’s… let me find it… ah, yes: “White Collar Boy.” This has an easy gait that’s quite reminiscent of B&S oldie “The Boy With the Arab Strap,” though it, like “The Blues are Still Blue,” stomps along much more sexily, even edging its way towards glam territory in those bursts of squealing guitar. And a special tip of the cap to the excellent – and entertaining – use of backing vocals, a strength throughout the Life Pursuit era. Showing once again that the band’s influences range wider than we might’ve guessed, Rod Stewart scores the cover treatment on the reverse with a dignified, horn-laced “Baby Jane” that was recorded live for Sirius. Stuart Murdoch’s aching vocal may or may not be a Rod impersonation, but it works perfectly in the context of the music and lyrics… even if you do decide to chuckle. An unlikely winner, and hands-down the best B-side of the recent singles.
(Rough Trade, 2006)Whu?! A sleazy near-growl and some easy-listen T-Rex slinkiness? Guess these old dawgs got a few new tricks up in their sleevebags! “The Blues are Still Blue” rolls along with a wink and a leer, and way out-funks earlier glammy attempts like “I’m a Cuckoo” (“funk” of course being a relative term in the B&S crooniverse). An affable little novelty that’s practically begging for radio love. The B-side has a rare cover, a smooth, laid-back take on that musty standard “Whiskey in the Jar” – that being, as everyone knows, a number that the Irish STOLE from Metallica and claimed as their very own folk song. Which was a lowdown move, but not nearly as bad as when the Albanians took “…And Justice For All” and tried to pretend it was part of their national tradition stretching back to medieval times. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Finns singing that “Gimme fuel gimme fire” song at all of their cultural celebrations. Why, I could rail all night.
(Rough Trade, 2005)Until The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian had kept a remarkably tidy discography. You had your albums and you had your EPs and that was it. No spreading of B-sides across multi-part singles and pricey import editions (with a few minor exceptions, like the extended “Judy is a Dick Slap” on the “Legal Man” 12”). So imagine how I cursed the heavens when, in 2005, the band started releasing singles with different tracks on different formats… now a guy needs to buy a CD, a 7”, and a DVD in order to collect all the latest B-sides. So it goes. Luckily my wallet is so fat.Belle and Sebastian’s arrangements have become ever more intricate over the years – especially since their work on the Storytelling soundtrack – and the bright, brassy “Funny Little Frog” continues the trend. The upbeat, sophisticated Hazlewoodisms heard here are miles from the fragile acoustic sobfests that characterized the earliest B&S records; this is a fun, attention-grabbing pop hit. Stuart Murdoch has also widened his lyrical scope significantly since the late ’90s and, in the process, become quite the humorist; this song, for example, is sung from the perspective of a fellow who “dates” a girl who is perfect but doesn’t actually know him. Clever stuff, ol’ Stuart! Rough times on the flip, where it’s hard to care too much about “The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House, ” a track that seems to be about an Israeli-Palestianian cross-cultural love affair and is driven by an almost Latin beat. Musically, it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the era’s material, and it’s appropriate that it has been relegated to B-side status. Still, it’s certainly not the strongest song with which to usher in the era in which completists are expected to shell out for every B&S import 7” to hit the racks…
(Rough Trade, 2006)
