Storytelling: telling a very surreal story (Strytelling - Belle & Sebastian)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Strytelling - Belle & Sebastian
Date:	28/10/08 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some nice harmonies

Disadvantages: Grated on me, too surreal, not flowing enough

I must admit, I haven't really heard much about Belle and Sebastian. My wife was given this album recently by a friend who didn't particularly want it any more, and I'm not surprised. It's not my style of music, indeed, it seems to be a bit of a mix. The Scottish Indie musical combination is interlaced with dialogue and pure instrumental tracks, and it is confusing and often distorted. However, there are elements within the album that are very relaxing and of a high musical quality.

We are restricted to instrumental tracks with speaking voices for virtually the first half of the album, and when the vocals do come in, they seem rather out of place and surreal. However, it's not all doom and gloom. The majority of the purely instrumental pieces are very harmonious and often soothing, particularly the opening number, entitle Fiction.

The album is interspersed with dialogue excerpts, which provide a bit more surreality, and although there are some interesting elements to the whole album, I found myself irritated by its lack of continuity and rather eccentric feel. I couldn't relax to it, and must admit that I skipped a lot of it the first time I listened to it. We have since had it on again, but I'm still no greater a fan, and won't bother listening to this much more. I may even give it away to a friend!

Track list:

Fiction
Freak
Dialogue: Conan, Early Letterman
Fuck This Shit
Night Walk
Dialogue: Jersey's Where It's At
Black And White Unite
Consuelo
Dialogue: Toby
Storytelling
Dialogue: Class Rank
I Don't Want To Play Football
Consuelo Leaving
Wandering Alone
Dialogue: Mandingo Cliche
Scooby Driver
Fiction Reprise
Big John Shaft

Of these tracks, perhaps 'I Don't Want To Play Football' and 'Wandering Alone' I found the most surreal, but intriguingly enough the most captivating. The lyrics, are clever and carefully placed, although none of this detracts from the overall feeling I got that I just did not want to listen to it any more. It has a couple of saving graces, otherwise I'd have rated it down at 1 star, but it's enough for a 2 star rating.

Summary: It was free, otherwise I'd have been annoyed to have spent the money....