record of the day: Belle and Sebastian's The Life Pursuit

it's hard to believe that it's almost been ten years since Belle and Sebastian released their masterpiece, 1997's If You're Feeling Sinister. I remember the first time i heard Sinister--it was wonderous, listening to something that had the feeling of a lost Smith's album combined with the lushness of a later work by the Beatles (think Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper's.) unfortunately, Belle and Sebastian have never been able to outdo their seminal work, but after a few miscues, they were able to re-invent themselves with 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, an album that, had Sinister never existed, might be considered their best work.

The problem with re-inventing yourself is that you can only do it so often, and you can't betray the sensibilities that got you where you were in the first place. The reason that Dear Catastrophe Waitress was such a success is because Belle and Sebastian managed to be completely different while somehow remaining the same. it was like a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, an adolescent into an adult. The shy and melancholy Belle and Sebastian of Sinister finally managed to find a way to unleash their voice and their power with Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and they managed to put their greatest work behind them, looking toward the future.

And so we come to The Life Pursuit, their most recent release. The Life Pursuit simultaneously benefits and suffers at the hands of Dear Catastrophe Waitress. it is the logical growth of the band that rediscovered their voice in 2003, but at the same time that growth is a detriment. The songs aren't that noticeably different on The Life Pursuit as on Waitress at first listen, but as you listen the record really starts to catch on. Songs like "Another Sunny Day," "Act of the Apostle," "Funny Little Frog" and "Sukie in the Graveyard" are classic Belle and Sebastian, up there with such luminaries as "Lazy Line Painter Jane," "Dog on Wheels," and even "Like Dylan in the Movies" or "Mayfly."

Sometimes the best records are the ones you don't fall in love with on first listen. I have to admit that the first time I listened to Sinister, i didn't get what all the hubbub was about. but then one day i really started paying attention, and by the time "Dylan" had reached the end, i was hooked. The Life Pursuit is a lot like that...you won't hear it on first listen, but if you let it grow on you, you'll be hooked. Grade: A-