Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant

Description

For their fourth and most cleverly titled album, Glasgows fey folk-popsters Belle & Sebastian have constructed another 11 songs that at times reach into new musical and lyrical areas. Following secondary composer Stuart Davids departure, de facto leader Stuart Murdoch divides the songwriting chores among the other members; yet whats apparent is the single-mindedness of Belle & Sebastians song focus. The overall mood is even softer and more precious (if that can be believed) than their previous efforts. Murdoch and Chris Geddes Dont Leave The Light On Baby is the bands attempt at a 70s soul ballad, a Wurlitzer adding a Music-of-My-Mind vibe to a lovers dissertation. Isobel Campbells Beyond The Sunrise is biblical Celtic-prog-folk, all flutes and acoustic guitar, while Jacksons own The Wrong Girl is an upbeat, country-ish lament with typically soulful Belle & Sebastian strings and trumpet giving the song an understated melodic kick. Of course, Murdoch contributes a classic or twoI Fought a War is a gentle away-at-the-battlefield tale imbued with the greatest sense of dread Murdochs ever given a song. And Womans Realm is the kind of pop stomper ARAB STRAP was packed to the gills with, highlighted here by its increasingly quiet surroundings.