Tag Archives: If You’re Feeling Sinister

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Song of the Day #6,410: ‘Mayfly’ – Belle and Sebastian

Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#1 – If You’re Feeling Sinister – Belle and Sebastian

Before I get to my best album of 1996, I want to mention Belle and Sebastian’s debut album, Tigermilk, which came out earlier the same year. That great release would easily have a spot in my top ten but I decided to leave room for other artists.

It’s remarkable that the Scottish septet recorded both that album and If You’re Feeling Sinister in the span of a few months. Talk about a burst of creative genius. I love those productive early years in a band’s history when classic songs just pour out.

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Song of the Day #3,614: ‘Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying’ – Belle and Sebastian

Today’s Random iTunes Selection comes at a good time.

I’ve been a bit down on Belle and Sebastian lately due to the uncharacteristic mediocrity of their most recent release. The band’s first new material since 2015’s Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is a collection of EPs that combine to form a 15-track album titled How to Solve Our Human Problems. And for my money, it’s the weakest thing they’ve ever recorded.

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Song of the Day #2,126: ‘Fox in the Snow (Live)’ – Belle and Sebastian

bellesebasIn Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, my favorite novel, the protagonist Rob Fleming is obsessed with making lists. Lists about life, love and art — mostly about art.

At one point in the book he, as a record store owner, is asked to provide his top five favorite songs for a column in a local magazine. The prospect of having one of his lists set in stone and published for all the world to see scares him to death.

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Song of the Day #1,373: ‘Like Dylan in the Movies’ – Belle & Sebastian

Best Albums of the 90s – #5
If You’re Feeling Sinister – Belle & Sebastian (1996)

Another sophomore album, Belle & Sebastian’s If You’re Feeling Sinister was also my first introduction to a band that would become one of my very favorites.

This record served as many people’s first impression of the group, as their debut album, Tigermilk, was not widely available for years after its release. Only when it was re-released on CD following the (relative) success of Sinister did casual fans get to hear it for the first time.

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Song of the Day #187: ‘Fox in the Snow’ – Belle & Sebastian

sinisterI really like the word ‘twee.’ It’s one of those words (and I think there’s a name for this) that sounds like what it means. Sort of like ‘guttural’ or ‘effervescent.’ I mean, can you think of a more twee word than ‘twee?’

Twee is also the most common adjective I’ve seen applied to Belle and Sebastian. They are certainly among the more delicate sounding bands out there. One could argue that their music is for pale art class geeks who would fall into a seizure if they heard genuine rock and roll.

I get that. But done right, I find delicacy in popular music a marvelous thing. And Belle and Sebastian most definitely do it right.

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