For whatever reason, I've never gotten into Belle and Sebastian. Like books and movies, oh-so-long is the list of music I can't seem to get around to. Stuart Murdoch (of B&S) has put together an amazing project due out in early June on Matador. While running he had a tune in his head he knew wasn't right for his band; it was a vivid wall of doop-woppy girl-group vocals and a 45-piece orchestra. Culling together nine amazing vocalists (most notably, Catherine Ireton who worked with Belle and Sebastian in 2006) he recorded the album that had been ringing in his head for the better part of 5 years. He calls it God Help the Girl and this YouTube clip tells you all about it.
The first single, "Come Monday Night" starts out sounding like something Snow White might trill amongst the wild flowers. It then kicks into classic old school pop, riffing on the throwback-stylings of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's Volume I, though moodier and less California. If the debut has all the perfect pop of the single with just a bit more melancholic Scottishness, I suspect we'll be hearing a lot about God Help the Girl.
(While you're at it, check out Ireton's band, The Go Away Birds for a free download. While it doesn't excite me half as much as GHTG, I do enjoy Ireton's voice.)
Mmm thanks for hipping me to this. I love a little Belle & Seb, and I'm loving the track you posted.
ReplyDeleteOh that's a sweet discovery: thanks!
ReplyDelete