Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress on CD

Description

Dear Catastrophe Waitress was a make or break album for Belle & Sebastian. Having lost two founder members (Stuart David to Looper and Isobel Campbell to the Gentle Waves) and produced a couple of endearing but not hugely exciting albums (their soundtrack to Todd Solondz's Storytelling film and their own Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant), the pressure was on for the Scottish indie-pop six-piece to provide a startling return to form. The presence of Trevor Horn (the man behind Tatu and Frankie Goes to Hollywood) as producer suggested that a stylistic leap was imminent. But would it be at the cost of the group's unique charm? Thankfully not. Chief songwriter Stuart Murdoch has clearly been listening to a lot of Randy Newman and Joe Jackson, along with a touch of Thin Lizzy, and Horn manages to meld these new influences with the trademark B&S sound. "Step into My Office Baby" is orchestral pop with a cheeky, almost raucous bent. "If She Wants Me" pulls off a flirtation with Orange Juice-style funk, while "Stay Loose" could be Squeeze covering "Space Oddity". On the more traditional B&S songs (the title track, "Wrapped Up in Books", live favourite "Lord Anthony"), the ante is upped simply by the quality of songwriting, which is a match for anything from the Tigermilk glory days. For a band whose best work seemed long behind them, Dear Catastrophe Waitress is just what was ordered. Not simply a return to form, but a bright new future. CD Review Dear Catastrophe Waitress signals a new and exciting chapter in the Belle & Sebastian story. It's their first record for Rough Trade Records, after they signed a four album deal last summer. And they've decided to use pop producer Trevor Horn. It's quite a change from their previous release, the rather underwhelming Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. Setting their stall out early doors, opening track and forthcoming single, "Step Into My Office Baby", comes swinging in with jaunt to spare. Documenting a corporate romance like it's the soundtrack to an Ealing comedy, the song showcases a diverse range of instrumentation and a rather nifty tempo shift. Lyrically, it positively hums with pithy couplets like 'She gave me some dictation, but my strength is in administration', recalling similar territory from earlier single, "Legal Man". The jolly mood continues on the title track, revelling in up-tempo string flourishes. "I'm A Cuckoo" packs a big brass section and a frisky drum beat that skips along like kids let out of school early. The lazy, jazz-tinged guitar which opens standout track, "If She Wants Me", has a whiff of The Style Council about it, but don't be scared. Horn manages to restrain himself here, showing an admirable light touch, adding deft dashes of strings and a couple of sparring keyboards. "Wrapped Up In Books" shows the clearest lineage from earlier works and it's a fine, pacey number with good harmonies. Indeed, the old B&S sound hasn't been completely ditched, so diehards can breathe a (fey) sigh of relief that Horn's influence hasn't resulted in a new, high-energy disco direction. Saving the best 'til last, "Stay Loose" is the most radical departure, letting Horn off the leash with a spiky organ line laid over the guitar and bass pulse from David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes". And, if that wasn't curious enough, the heavily processed vocal could have been lifted from a slice of 80s synth pop and it all goes a bit Squeeze in the chorus. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is ultimately, the sound of a band who've shifted the goalposts of their ambitions. Some may feel that the gravitas and poignancy of yore has been sacrificed for pop accessibility, but this record will pick up more converts than it will alienate purists and, whilst it may not be their finest 48 minutes, it's far from a catastrophe. 

Track List:

Step into My Office, Baby
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
If She Wants Me
Piazza, New York Catcher
Asleep on a Sunbeam
I'm a Cuckoo
You Don't Send Me
Wrapped Up in Books
Lord Anthony
If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
Roy Walker
Stay Loose