Lazy Line Painter Jane

by

Belle and Sebastian

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I have always heard B+S spoken well of, but pretty much only in indie rock circles which can be kinda stuffy and closed-minded, so I didn't know to put much stock in it. I figured I'd give them a shot when the opportunity presented itself instead of going out of my way. That day came when I saw this box set at a retail store "going out of business sale" and I snapped it up for 4 bucks.

OK- a few things here: best 4 bucks I've spent in a LONG time. I would have gladly paid more than full price for this sucker had I know how great it was. Also, I'm SO angry at myself for waiting so long to get to know this great music! The EP set is only the tip of the iceberg, as they have four or five full-lengths, but I so admire their dedication to the EP format. Each of these (and Jonathan David, which I also got and strongly recommend!) have their own character and flavor.

Major highlight is "Lazy Line Painter Jane" which is the kind of song that could have ruled the airwaves back when Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" was a miserable failure. It reaches such orgasmic heights of Phil Specto-rama, with layer upon layer of sound building and building (AND BUILDING AND BUILDING) around the duet between Stewart and the soulful white girl Monica White. The lyrics are vague in a Stewart kind of way, with enough evocative references to "boys" and "girls" who's lives are potentially altered by the "last bus out of town" to make you buy into this grandiose drama of human feeling without knowing exactly what the hell is going on (Dylan-esque? Yes!) It's a total geek-out! And I just LOVE how that bass line recenters the focus after the first verse, breaks it all down and then builds it back up! You da man, Stewart!

He isn't afraid to bring alot to the party, either. There's a home in this indie-rock for slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, harmonica, violins and strings and synths that sound like violins and strings- and it's deadly sincere. There's no joking around here. The people in charge of making this light and airy music are serious craftsmen and super-talented arrangers. They give a damn about making the best song they can.

I can't wait to absorb more of their music. This is such a great band, and I'd urge people to buy this box set. I found it an incredible way to start in on Belle and Sebastian!

Belle and Sebastian have been making great pop music for nearly a decade now, and some of their best work isn't on any studio album. You'll find great gems like "Lazy Line Painter Jane" and "The State I Am In" on this set, but why stop there? You could pay $18 for this box set. But there's a better option now.

A new 2 disc set has surfaced, thanks to Matador. It's called PUSH BARMAN TO OPEN OLD WOUNDS, and it contains all these songs and more for a cheaper price. If you're looking for non-album tracks from Scotland's best band, I'd say the decision is a no-brainer. Buy PUSH BARMAN instead - it's the price of a single disc album, and you get 25 tracks from all EP's 1997-2001. What a deal.