Stuart Murdoch and co. return with studio album number seven after a four-year pause since The Life Pursuit. The band took some time off but that didn't stop main member Murdoch from continuing to create music. Making a pit stop with his album God Help The Girl which was supposed to act as more of a soundtrack, the disc featured select members of Belle & Sebastian. Now seemingly refocused on his main group's compositions, as usual, Belle & Sebastian's latest album finds the music very warm and sentimental. It's not just a clever title either, the album at some points follows a narrative about a woman and her many loves as if Murdoch was crafting yet another soundtrack to a film that will never be made. Rich with harmonies all over the album (a traditional Belle & Sebastian trademark) as well as a plethora of instrumentation (complete with trumpets and retro-sounding organ you've come to expect) the group sounds very tight-knit. Murdoch has even taken a step down it would seem as his voice is not the first we hear on the album. Opener "I Didn't See It Coming" features the vocal work of Sarah Martin who makes the song her own. "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet" seems to be the only track that doesn't fit the sound of the rest of the album. Thrown into the middle of the album, it is the slowest track buried amongst a bunch of mid-tempo songs. It features a guest spot from Norah Jones whose voice somehow doesn't fit the mould and can grate on your nerves at times. Another standout track includes the peppy "I'm Not Living In The Real World", which is extremely infectious. It has a tinge of Britpop to it which will surely leave you humming/whistling the song long after you've finished listening to it. This is the type of album that gets better with each play. There will be something new you enjoy about it each time you listen to it.
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