Album Review: Belle And Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous

A Bit Of Previous is the ninth studio album by Belle and Sebastian and their first full length album in seven years. Was it worth the wait?Undoubtedly, yes. It is a collection of jaunty, melodic and memorable songs that make you smile.

The album sees the band taking on age and getting older, with the opening track Young and Stupid with sees them looking back. A haunting violin underpins the track as the lyric relates “ Now we’re old with creaking bones, some with partners some alone, some with kids and some with dogs, getting through the nightly slog, everything is fine when you’re young and stupid”

The arrangements may be playful but there is always an underlying gravity as the pace slows down on the ballad If They’re Shouting At You.

There are plenty of other highlights too such as Unnecessary Drama which is a heavier track than you might expect from Belle and Sebastian.

My favourite out of these twelve tracks is the whimsical yet uplifting Come On Home, the track shines like the summer sunshine. It reminds me slightly of the type of songThe Style Council used to do with their brand of soulful pop.

The album concludes with Working Boy In New York which has an escapist bliss of soulful flute with a funky backbeat

The album is a fine return on a set of songs that once heard are hard to forget.