The Life Pursuit

by Belle and Sebastian

Overview

Proving that the comeback of 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress was no fluke, Belle & Sebastian's sixth full-length album, The Life Pursuit, is a sleek, stylish affair that finds the group quietly pursuing new ground without forsaking its trademark witty, literary, tuneful pop. In retrospect, Dear Catastrophe Waitress wasn't so much a comeback as a restart, finding Stuart Murdoch reasserting himself as the group's undisputed leader in the wake of the departure of Stuart David and Isobel Campbell, but equally as important was the presence of superstar producer Trevor Horn, who didn't gloss up B&S as much as gave them focus and direction, along with a greater musical palette. The Life Pursuit is the logical next step forward, retaining Murdoch's signature wry vignettes but dressing them in new sonic colors. Although their collaboration with Horn started Belle & Sebastian on this path, he has been replaced with producer Tony Hoffer, best known for his work on Beck's Guero, Air's 10,000 Hz Legend, and Supergrass' Life on Other Planets. On each of those records, Hoffer was able to retain the artist's core identity while expanding their musical horizons, and that's the case with The Life Pursuit. Here, Belle & Sebastian dabble in glam rock, lazy lounge jazz, and ersatz blues, enhancing their swinging '60s pop fixation with horn charts, the occasional flute, and Motown rhythms, while even rocking harder than ever before (but that's on a relative scale, of course). This results in a fresh, lively listen, but a rich one too, since there's more to hear in the music as well as the words upon repeated listens. It's not a radical departure for Belle & Sebastian -- there are several intimate, folky numbers that would comfortably fit on their previous records. But having these tunes surrounded by songs that successfully stretch the group's sound gives The Life Pursuit an unexpected, wholly welcome vitality that not only produces a satisfying album, but suggests that a decade removed from their masterwork, If You're Feeling Sinister, Belle & Sebastian have managed to find a way to grow without changing their identity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/07/2014
Label:	Matador
UPC:	0744861068785
Rank:	41189

Tracks

1. Act of the Apostle, Pt. 1
2. Another Sunny Day
3. White Collar Boy
4. The Blues Are Still Blue
5. Dress Up in You
6. Sukie in the Graveyard
7. We Are the Sleepyheads
8. Song For Sunshine
9. Funny Little Frog
10. To Be Myself Completely
11. The Act of the Apostle, Pt. 2
12. For the Price of a Cup of Tea
13. Mornington Crescent

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Belle and Sebastian   Primary Artist
Chris Reynolds   Guest Artist,Percussion
Tom Smith   Guest Artist
Jennifer Stephenson   Clarinet
James Swinburne   Saxophone
Alistair Collins   Bassoon
Tom L. Smith   Trombone

Technical Credits

Tony Doogan   Mixing
Patrick Doyle   Model,Assistant Photographer
Chris Reynolds   Assistant Engineer
Belle and Sebastian   Cover Design,Layout Design
Todd Burke   Engineer
Tony Hoffer   Mixing,Producer
Jason Mott   Assistant Engineer
Frank Arkwright   Mastering
Alex Klobouk   Model
Stuart   Photography
Katrina House   Model
Keith Dodds   Cover Design,Layout Design
Marisa Privitera   Model,Photography,Assistant Photographer
Natasha Normaly   Model
Alex Prager   Photography