Bbc Sessions, The

Belle and Sebastian - The BBC Sessions

Super sweet (but not sickeningly so, ok maybe sometimes) Scottish indie pop, but really, who hasn't heard of them? This compilation includes tracks from the live radio tracks (Radcliffe and Evening sessions: tracks 1-10), unreleased songs (Peel Sessions: tracks 11-14). Hm, I'll admit I'm not super familiar with Belle & Sebastian's discography, but I'll try my best to compare it the album versions. FCC clean as far as I can tell.
Reviewed by Truc

1. (4:42) Slow and lumbering melodic track with minimal guitar accompaniment until 50 minutes in when other instruments join in. This sounds exactly like the album version.
2. (4:12)*** This is a great recording. The guitars sound a lot louder than in the album version and there's a sax part at the end instead of the synth and xylophone which nicely fits with the next track.
3. (3:34) Minimal downtempo melodies for the first part and pretty standard chamber pop. Vocals are more clearly enunciated and less hushed.
4. (4:38)** Slow, sweet and simple guitar driven pop song. Sounds a bit more hesitant and stilted than the album version.
5. (3:49) Mid-tempo upbeat, carefree song. Shortened and a bit rougher than the from the version in Tigermilk.
6. (4:52) Slow almost ballad with country tinge. Guitar flourishes seem slower and clearer.
7. (5:37)** Most folk rock like song on album with poppy elements. Different version of Lazy Line Painter Jane. Harmonica part that I don't remember in the original and there is no female vocal accompaniment. Fade out with 7 sec left.
8. (4:49)*** Slow, soft and incessantly poppy while dealing with serious lyrics - this is one of my favorite B&S songs. Sounds the same, except lacks the "wooshing" effect in the original.
9. (3:07) Really slow to pick up. A bit of piano at the beginning, then drums, horns, etc. Sounds like it's live, fade out.
10. (3:30)** Straightforward guitar and horn song. Different version of The Wrong Girl, missing the cowbell. Vocals are great for being a live recording.
11. (3:11) Slow bluesy intro, bass driven. Does a half talking/half singing thing. Fade out.
12. (2:28) Soft female vocals with tambourine. Gets really poppy and upbeat 40 secs in.
13. (3:50) Wipsy female vocals again. Whoa this is super poppy and sweet. If you have a Y chromosome and like this, then that's pretty emasculating.
14. (4:29) Mid-tempo ballad. The sound quality doesn't sound so good on this one. I like the violins (?) on this.