Let me start off by saying, for the record, I love Belle & Sebastian.
Everything, up to this point, that it has done has been incredible and holds up to any and every band England has produced in the last five years or so. In fact, when I saw this disc in a local record shop, I didn‘t think twice before snatching up. I couldn’t even wait for the label to send me a promo copy.
That said, let me introduce the latest three-track EP from the British powerhouse, “I’m Waking Up To Us.” This EP leads Belle & Sebastian into a whole new genre and kind of experimentation - awful music.
This seven-piece band has done some pretty awesome stuff in the past. Its 1998 release “The Boy With the Arab Strap” is one of my all-time favorites. But since 1996 it has released eight EPs while only producing four full-albums.
Now when you only have a three-track EP, there’s not much room for error. Hence the problem that sinks “I’m Waking Up To Us.”
The disc is weak lyrically, vocally and, like most EPs, seems entirely too short for something you’re going to shell $6 or $7 out for. Musically, there are some high points. The horns in “I Love My Car” are awesome, and if it weren’t for the lame lyrics, the song would be great.
Can you really win fans over with lyrics like “I‘ve got a head like a soaking sponge/I’ve got a tongue like a little slug/I won’t be bugged by trivia”?
The one positive side of EPs, similar to their disadvantages, is that if they’re bad, you only have a couple tracks to get through before the pain ends. Here’s hoping Belle & Sebastian wake up to making better music.
