One Track Mind

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Belle & Sebastian‘s Stuart Murdoch is unquestionably one of the preeminent songwriters of the past fifteen years, his lyrics imbued with an erudite poeticism and his songcraft built around timeless, lilting melodies. On June 23rd, Murdoch will release an album under the moniker God Help the Girl, a project four years in the making. The record is essentially a musical narrative for songs (a couple of which will be familiar to B&S fans) that Murdoch preferred someone else to sing. That means we get folks like Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy and newcomer Catherine Ireton, who sings on “Come Monday Night.”

In terms of Murdoch’s previous oeuvre, there isn’t anything shocking here. Indeed, it is precisely what you would expect: delicately played piano, the orchestral push of a string section (although in this case it’s a 45-piece orchestra), gentle vocal harmonies. It’s as spot-on as ever, though, and Ireton may prove to be one of the greatest finds of Murdoch’s career, her voice at once a caress and a firm, guiding hand. The end refrain of “Baby, you would sleep much better / Maybe you would sleep much better” is likely to wedge itself in one of those soggy cranial creases of yours, the notes dancing in your head for the rest of the day.

“Come Monday Night” may lack a climactic oomph, preferring instead the slow fade into silence, but it seems less like a deficiency and more like a thoughtful stylistic maneuver. Fans of Belle & Sebastian clearly have reason to rejoice over God Help the Girl and a great deal to look forward to come June.