Belle & Sebastian quietly built a dedicated following after the release of their second album,
If You're Feeling Sinister, as word of mouth spread from indie kids to record collectors to store clerks to critics. By the end of 1997, the Scottish septet had developed a following every bit as passionate as
the Smiths did at their peak, which is only appropriate since leader
Stuart Murdoch is as wittily literate as
Morrissey.
If You're Feeling Sinister proved this as did the three excellent EPs that followed, increasing expectations for
The Boy With the Arab Strap. Even if the album doesn't match the peerless
If You're Feeling Sinister or break new ground for
Belle & Sebastian, it's not a sophomore slump. From the Motown stomp of "Dirty Dream Number Two" to the
Paul Simon shuffle of the title track, there is more musical texture on
Boy than
Sinister, but much of this was already explored on the EPs, which means
Arab Strap essentially consolidates the group's talents.
Murdoch recedes from the spotlight on occasion, letting
Steve Jackson deliver two music-biz spiels and giving
Isobel Campbell space to shine with the lilting "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" All three songs are highlights, but
Murdoch's songs still attract the most attention. His vicious wit, often overlooked in favor of his poetic narratives, surfaces on the title track, while "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" summarizes his effortless gift for elegant melancholia. Such small, precious gems are what
Belle & Sebastian are all about, and
The Boy With the Arab Strap offers another round of timeless, endlessly fascinating folk-pop treasures. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine