For a while there this album was harder to track down than a Nepalese Yeti. Tigermilk was recorded while Belle and Sebastian were still in Art College and was submitted as part of their final year project. This meant that it originally had a limited pressing of a few thousand copies. Thankfully for those not able to afford the £400 per copy asking price it was re-released in 1999. It is hard to believe that 'Tigermilk' was recorded on a limited budget because there is such a lush feel to it. 'Expectations' for example is a complicated sounding beast with trumpets, flutes, strings and guitars flying in from every angle while the lyrics spout from Stuart Murdoch's mouth like water from a classy fountain in Barcelona.

'She's Losing It' is a classic example of Belle and Sebastian turning a good story into a fantastical musical show. Murdoch pours the lyrics like honey on a pancake while the sweetest of accompaniments surrounds his words. Despite this if you listen closely, the story has an unsettling abuse theme. Belle and Sebastian consistently display an intelligence to back up their undeniable musical acumen and you can quite easily browse their inlay cards like you would a clever magazine. 'Tigermilk' has a breakneck speed (by B&S's standards!), with tracks such as 'You're Just A Baby' steaming along under the guidance of some chugging guitars and shadowy organic shards. The album is the furthest Belle and Sebastian have ventured from their folk inclinations. They may have mellowed and honed their sound since this release but looking back 'Tigermilk' sounds hugely refreshing.

'Electronic Renaissance' is an interesting departure. Sounding all synth pop, aha, buggles and resembling thoroughly ill-fitting trousers in an otherwise classy suit, it is a wacky OMD homage that is easy to swoon to (well, after 5 pints of stout anyway) especially that 'Take On Me' drum machine sequence. A re-recorded version of 'The State I Am In' appears on the 'Dogs On Wheels' e.p. and is one of those Belle and Sebastian tunes that isn't immediately obvious. Repeated plays reveal the glitter hidden under those delicate vocals and simple musical arrangements. Some might regard it as twee, but it has a beating heart that is twice as aerobic as any muscle bound tracksuit.

'My Wandering Days Are Over' contains the most gorgeous trumpets at its heart as it swaggers with such effortless grace you'd wish all musicians would put in the same effort. 'I Don't Love Anyone' starts out like Counting Crows but soon swings with such melodious harmony you could be forgiven for thinking that you were shipwrecked on an island inhabited only by finely tuned instruments playing sweetly in unison. The album ends with 'Mary Jo' that begins with dreamy flutes and an acoustic guitar and then mushrooms into a string rich wallowing chorus that transcends time and musical style. It is a song that could have been written two hundred years ago with a resonance that remains so vital to this day.

Belle and Sebastian's debut set a high standard. Luckily for us they rarely let this standard slip on any of the subsequent releases. They remain a modern day pop phenomena, untarnished by media exposure, happy to release astoundingly touching records. If you haven't discovered them yet, imagine something so good it’ll make you feel a decade younger.

Rating: 8/10

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Belle and Sebastian's startling second album arrived at the perfect time. Britpop had taken the charts by storm and indie music was beginning to infiltrate the mainstream. IYFS sounded so completely different, full of folk fuelled moments, insightful lyrics and sleeve notes that tickle that funny bone you thought you never had. IYFS offered a delightful alternative to the Oasis rock and roll beast, it might not have been an obvious record but most classics rarely are. There is an aura to the grooves that approaches cuts like the Stone Roses that was released a few years earlier. The fact that success was still light years away meant that cult type things started happening. Scant interviews, dodgy half-lit photographs (it was next to impossible to find out what they looked like), ultra loyal fans and a v-sign cast in the general direction of the music industry. A band forging ahead by doing it their way, with the obvious result that sales were hit (in the interim at least).

So what does the music sound like? Well it´s low key a lot of the time and at first you might wonder what all the fuss is about. After a time though the quality shines through. 'Stars of Track and Field' is the ambitious opener/slow burner that reveals its beauty by about the third listen. Find yourself humming it incessantly until your concerned folks call for medical assistance. Stuart Murdoch may hide behind Nick Drake's cloak but underneath there is genuine talent. 'Seeing Other People' is the star of the IYFS show, a skidding piano riff, a xylophone plinking join the racing vocal that knows exactly where it’s heading. 'Me And The Major' and 'Like Dylan In The Movies' continue in the same vein and you wonder whether they can maintain this pace and quality for the whole album. The answer is most definitely yes, because even though ‘Fox In The Snow’ brings the gallop to a canter it's a stallion of a tune.

There's a lovely swing that runs right through the album that gives you the confidence to play it to your friends and feel proud that you discovered them first. Watch your status in your circle of friends elevate as a result. Crack open the fake champagne to the celebratatory strains of 'Mayfly' and get drunk on the closing track 'Judy And The Dream Of Horses'. While a lot of albums store the weaker tracks near the end, don't be fooled here as it's a romper stomper effort that develops out of humble beginnings. If You're Feeling Sinister is near impossible to fault. The cover design has a plush red texture, mimicking in some way the colour of your cheeks after one too many listens. Belle and Sebastian have a back catalogue to die for, for many this is their defining moment.


Rating: 8/10



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