As is probably known to readers of this blog, I'm a fan of the Scottish indie band Belle & Sebastian. Band founder and leader, lead singer and song-writer Stuart Lee Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian has worked for several years on the soundtrack of a rock musical/movie which might be produced next year.
However, the soundtrack for the musical is ready and the album titled God help the Girl is available.
It consists of 14 pieces, a collection of new songs and old ones of Belle & Sebastian. There are lots of string and brass arrangements (actually a 45-piece orchestra).
Murdoch wanted to craft a set of songs sung by women framed in an orchestral context, and he found real good ones, Catherine Ireton of the Go Away Birds, Brittany Stallings, Anna Miles, and Asya of Smoosh. There's also Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy.
The arrangements are all rather charming, and very Belle & Sebastian-ish, but a little modified and alienated (not in a bad sense) by those new voices, especially Catherine Ireton's very strong and warm one.
There's an interview with Stuart Lee Murdoch.
Rob Spence of Topsyturvydom alerted me to an interview Stuart had given on BBC, but unfortunately, that's no longer available online.
I only wonder what people, especially those who are not familiar with Belle & Sebastian will make of a soundtrack to a musical without the musical.
My favorites: a) Come Monday Night
and b) Pretty Eve in The Tub, as it's sung by Stuart Murdoch and I like his voice a lot. It has been said it sounds like Chamber Music and I think, that's true. But listen for yourself.
There's a review by Liam McIllvanney in the Guardian "A Story Set to Music".
More links1 (God help the girl - site)
More links2.
1 comment:
I love that you have introduced this group to me. I'd never have known about them otherwise, and intend to look for the cd (if I remember). The videos themselves are wonderful, too.
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