Album of the Week (12.25.05)

Artist: Belle & Sebastian
Album: If You're Feeling Sinister (Live)

I'm not that big of a Belle & Sebastian fan, but I love love love If You're Feeling Sinister. The band recently played the album in its entirety at the Barbican in London in September. It's now available exclusively as an iTunes download.

Given the budget, time, and resources that they now have access to, the original album might have been recorded differently in 1996. And I think I may have taken to preferring the live album to the studio version. It sounds more engaging, uplifting, and Stuart Murdoch's voice has much more range. The songs now seem to be more urgent and playful. There also seems to be more (and more interesting) instrumentation throughout. If ever an album was underproduced, it was the original recording of this one.

If it weren't for hand claps, applause, and some cheers, it wouldn't be necessarily obvious that this was a live recording. It sounds great. My only problem is that there are slight breaks between the songs and that it doesn't appear seamless. Sure, what we're missing is mostly just applause, some tuning, and maybe some banter, but those things all add to a live experience.

Personal favorite: "If You're Feeling Sinister"