This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Stuart Murdoch may be the most unlikely pop star on the planet.
Despite being main singer, songwriter and nominal leader of award-winning, ultra-hip Scottish folk-pop octet Belle And Sebastian, he refuses interviews, avoids photo shoots, rarely tours and reportedly lives above a church hall in Glasgow — where he toils as a janitor. Now, it seems his disdain for the limelight has begun to creep into his art; on his band’s preciously eclectic, wonderfully charming fourth album, he loosens his grip on the creative reins and recedes to let his bandmates’ songs and vocals come to the forefront. It’s a sweet gesture, if not a particularly satisfying one. Murdoch’s endearingly offbeat ’60s pop — imagine Ray Davies collaborating with Burt Bacharach — always been B&S’s strong suit, and talented as his cohorts are, their contributions can’t compete with his breezy, sunshiney trinkets like The Model and Woman’s Realm. Of course, I doubt Stuart gives a toss. And frankly, as long as we get enough of his unpretentiously pretty tunes to tide us over until the next release, we probably shouldn’t either.
