Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit [Matador; 2006] Grade: C+ Reviewers: Aaron Seelig & Spud Swenson [KNDS DJs]

Belle and Sebastian have been a prominent force on the independent music scene for nearly 10 years. With their strong reputation set in stone, this Scottish band’s eighth album has been talked up to death, and after listening to it over and over, searching for something just not there got old. The album is lacking a soul. It just seems Belle and Sebastian threw a bunch of sounds, crazy vocals, and even crazier lyrics into a hat, shook it up, and called it ‘The Life Pursuit’.

The album isn’t all a failure. It manages to hack out some solid tracks. This album is worth a listen or two just because it’s Belle and Sebastian, but it’s definitely not one of their best. To listen to the tracks that deserve air time and the best indie music on the radio, tune into KNDS (105.9 FM), Saturdays 2-4 PM.