|
IF YOU'RE FEELING SINISTER (Nov 1996)
Belle & Sebastian: If You’re Feeling Sinister
Released: November 18 1996
Mark Bennett, 6 Music listenerLate again. It was 2001 before I heard If You’re Feeling Sinister and I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since. Like Superman flying around the world backwards to bring Lois Lane back to life, I’ve been trying to backdate my love for Belle and Sebastian, hopefully eradicating that unfortunate drum ‘n’ bass phase in the process.
Having spent much of the previous decade whinging (to myself, mainly) about British pop’s obsession with the ‘60s, I suppose it was inevitable that I’d be sniffy about B & S’ ‘classic’ pop influences (Dylan, The Byrds, The Smiths, Felt, Bacharach and David). Mix that lot up the wrong way and you’d end up with Gene or worse. But If You’re Feeling Sinister is so winningly wry, delicate, sad and funny that I just couldn’t help but fall in love with it. Hearing it is an instant comfort, like turning off the news and finding out Robin’s Nest is on on the other side. I have cable.
There are no highlights as such It’s just that some tracks (Me and the Major, Like Dylan in the Movies, Fox in the Snow, Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, The Boy Done Wrong Again) are life-changingly great as opposed to just great (the others).
If only I’d picked up on this back then, it would have made The Lighthouse Family, Suede, Be Here Now and house records seemingly recorded on the waltzers at the fair seem just about bearable.
But no, I had to waste five years destroying my brain with punishing electronic noise records before I’d even allow If You’re Feeling Sinister into the house, didn’t I? Where did that get me? There I was thinking I was Lester Bangs when really I was Jeremy Clarkson with a Wire subscription. Next week: cruisin’ with the Doobie Brothers.