god help the girl - new stuart murdoch project

God Help the Girl - An Introduction

I bought my first Belle and Sebastian record when I was in eighth grade. If You’re Feeling Sinister came to define what good pop music sounded like, even before I knew there was such a thing called “twee.” Now I listen back to all those songs from the first few Belle & Sebastian albums with such fondness, that it is impossible to imagine liking a band any more than that.

But, quite honestly, I felt a little let down with Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and downright disappointed with The Life Pursuit. It wasn’t until the recent BBC Sessions were released that I remembered why I loved B&S so much, without all the oppressive Elephant 6 style freak-outs that have characterized the last two records.

God Help the Girl is Stuart Murdoch’s new project, and from what I’ve heard so far, I am reminded of some of my favorite B&S songs of times past, of simple pop music with beautiful instrumentation and even more beautiful melodies. The songs are from three different “characters” created by Murdoch (how Stephin Merritt of him), who solicited a few female singers through an ad in the paper (and, more accurately, through friends of friends) to sing in the style of 60s girl groups and classic pop, all backed by members of B&S.

I’m very excited to hear the rest of the songs from this new project. The single for “Come Monday Night” is due out May 11, and the rest of the album is set to release on June 22.

Download:
God Help the Girl - "Come Monday Night"