Posts
With Late Developers I heard of a new album before reading any reviews, so gave the album a go. With 'Julia Naked' the album starts in a clean and bare way. It suggests a sense of urgency that is totally missing in all the songs that follow it.
A positive quality of Belle and Sebastian is positivity. The sound of the band always has a touch of lightness in it. The clean sound, the high tones in the voice of Stuart Murdoch always sets me in a nice mood. This is something that not many bands have.
With Sarah Martin the band has a second lead singer who gives the band a second face. Musically, on this album, the songs with a little more pepper in them hold her voice as lead. It does not save the album though.
In 2023 it is more than a quarter of a century since the release of 'Tiger Milk'. Twelve albums down the line, I can't escape the impression that I have heard enough Belle and Sebastian songs. A new album does not add to what I already have in the home. (I have not listened yet to the latest Muse and Rammstein either e.g.) This is not necessarily a bad thing, music progresses and so does a listener.
There's nothing wrong with Late Developers. Don't get me wrong there. If this had been the band's third album, I would probably have been quite content with it. The light and some somewhat less light pop songs sound nice, attention was paid to details that pay off. However, as album number 12, of which I have six or seven, it's very different. Belle and Sebastian has to try harder I'm afraid. Like with the album I started this review with. That contains extra efforts. Here I'm only hearing the middle way where no risks are taken. Late Developers is not special enough for me in 2023 to put more effort into it.
Wout de Natris
You can listen to and order Late Developers here:
https://belleandsebastian.bandcamp.com/album/late-developers
No comments:
Post a Comment