A Short History of Belle and Sebastian

A while before Belle and Sebastian were formed, Stuart Murdoch moved from Scotland to London in an attempt to meet his musical hero, Lawrence from the band Felt. Having returned to Glasgow in the nineties, Murdoch was determined to form a band and eventually convinced a bass player called Stuart David to try out some musical ideas. The core of Belle and Sebastian was formed when Isobel Campbell, Richard Colbern, Stevie Jackson and Chris Geddes also joined.

Their debut album was released on the Electric Honey record label which was run by Alan Rankine, formerly of the Associates. It quickly gained a lot of radio airplay and launched the band, seemingly overnight, on the unsuspecting public crying out for something a little different. The band's first track from their debut album, 'Tigermilk', was called 'The State That I Am In' and it immediately highlights Stuart Murdoch's lyrically quality. The song is split into a series of scenes. The first detailing an older brother announcing his homosexuality on the wedding day of his sister and the last being the narrator spending his days turning tables around in a naff high street store. The rest of the album is a collection of snapshots highlighting milestone moments in tragic lives.

Their first album for Jeepster was called 'If You're Feeling Sinister'. It was followed by a trilogy of EP's that set Belle and Sebastian apart in 1997. They sounded like nothing else that was going on at the time. Britpop had recently finished. Blur had gone a little bit more indie and Oasis were being entertained in Downing Street. The musical state of Britain was in a lull. 'Dog On Wheels' was a pastiche of 'Alone Again Or' by Love. It was followed by 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' which sounded like a contemporary rewriting of 'Like A Rolling Stone'. There is a swirling Wurlitzer instead of Al Kooper's electric organ, but the feel is the same as Dylan's epic.

Belle and Sebastian's next album was called 'The Boy With The Arab Strap' and it remains their finest moment. The band bring together northern soul and perfect pop, there's gentle folk, beautiful strings and spot-on brass moments. The album led to them winning a Brit Award for the best newcomer category and it is easy to understand why. All the songs have an honesty due to Murdoch's fine lyrics and the band's playful stylistic contortions.

The sleeve notes on the band's second album state that 'Belle and Sebastian were the product of botched capitalism'. Before the band formed they were all working in so-called dead-end jobs. This pre-band life has obviously informed the lyrics and some of the music of the band and may explain why Belle and Sebastian songs sound original and have an honesty even though their musical influences are writ large. They write uncomfortable stories and present them inside a folk-pop format. It all recalls the sixties and the seventies with a detail and a mood which is hard to match. For anyone wanting to find their best stuff, just check out the title track on the album 'The Boy With The Arab Strap'.