Belle and Sebastian – Late Developers (Matador)

Belle and Sebastian are on a roll. Eight months after their previous album, along comes Late Developers, an album that lives up to its name.

That previous album is titled A Bit Of Previous and it was the Scottish band’s first new album in seven years. So, it came as a bit of a surprise when it was announced just four days before release date (January 13^th) that another was on the way and described thusly: ‘Late Developers’ comes on like its predecessor’s sun-kissed cousin.  

To be honest, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement and I admit that my expectations were low when I went to give Late Developers a spin. But the opening ‘Ba da ba da’s’ of first track Juliet Naked, quickly drew me in.

And it got better from there.

Long-time bandleaders Stuart Murdoch and Sarah Martin sound fresh and inspired and songs like Give A Little Time and When We Were Very Young sound nothing like leftovers from two-year-old sessions (even if that’s what they are).

Judging from the lyrical content, Belle and Sebastian are students of classic songwriters such as Goffin and King and Paul McCartney (all name-checked) and they have learned their lessons well.

That will come as no surprise to enduring fans, but it’s been over 25 years since the band’s ‘heyday’, but after listening to Late Developers I’m thinking they are catching a second wind.

And speaking of catching the wind, I couldn’t help but notice the influence of another Scottish singer-songwriter here…namely Donovan Leitch. Tunes like Will I Tell You A Secret and When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall had me humming Donovan’s Wear Your Love Like Heaven and Murdoch’s lilting voice is not unlike Leitch’s.

Influences are nice, but you have the have the songs to back them up and tunes such as I Don’t Know What You See In Me and When The Cynics Stare Back hold up quite nicely, the latter featuring Camera Obscura vocalist Tracyanne Campbell.

The album ends on a high note with the title track that, with its horns and breezy melody, remind me of the Chicago soul of The Five Stairsteps’ Ooh Child.

Yep, this is an album of pure pop surprises. I gotta admit, I never saw it coming, but I’m glad it’s here.

Marty Duda