Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Belle and Sebastian

The Blues Are Still Blue

Label: Rough Trade Release Date: 03/04/2006

13182
Rrrachel by Rachel Cawley April 4th, 2006

From my speakers arrives a parcel; egg-shell blue tissue paper encased with a safety belt of grosgrain ribbon and finished with a little fountain of matching threads. A Belle and Sebastian single this is – neatly tied up, self-contained, nearly interchangeable with every other Belle et al single of the past five years. The usual traits are all present – a way with a chord change, an outside perspective, trousers a little too short with socks flashing at the ankle, a knowing wink here and there.

And so, certain things never change, “the black will be grey and the white will be grey”, the blues are still blue, Belle and Sebastian are still B&S. In a way, they are singing the blues, wistful and woebegone observations set to a swinging twelve-bar shuffle. That contrast and balance between low-spirits and a spot of chirpy music that Howlin’ Wolf or T-Bone Walker were peddling back in the post-war years.

Just because this is a continuation of what has been before doesn’t make it useless – that way with a chord change is more apparent here than on most Dear Catastrophe Waitress, there’s a hint of swagger set-off with cowbell. Most of all, Murdoch’s completely un-chronological account of excuses and regrets dodges between the forlorn and the funny (“I got a letter from my Mama which my stupid dog has ate”) much in the way that real life does.

  • 7
    Rachel Cawley's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

The Slackers

Peculiar

Mobback
13198
12665

Black Heart Procession at Boogaloo, Tottenham, Mon 03 Apr

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND