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The Blues are Still Blue Belle and Sebastian
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by Rachel Cawley
  • Type: Single
  • Release date: 03/04/2006
  • Label: Rough Trade

From my speakers arrives a parcel; egg-shell blue tissue paper encased with a safety belt of grosgrain ribbon and finished with a little fountain of matching threads. A Belle and Sebastian single this is – neatly tied up, self-contained, nearly interchangeable with every other Belle et al single of the past five years. The usual traits are all present – a way with a chord change, an outside perspective, trousers a little too short with socks flashing at the ankle, a knowing wink here and there.

And so, certain things never change, “the black will be grey and the white will be grey”, the blues are still blue, Belle and Sebastian are still B&S. In a way, they are singing the blues, wistful and woebegone observations set to a swinging twelve-bar shuffle. That contrast and balance between low-spirits and a spot of chirpy music that Howlin’ Wolf or T-Bone Walker were peddling back in the post-war years.

Just because this is a continuation of what has been before doesn’t make it useless – that way with a chord change is more apparent here than on most Dear Catastrophe Waitress, there’s a hint of swagger set-off with cowbell. Most of all, Murdoch’s completely un-chronological account of excuses and regrets dodges between the forlorn and the funny (“I got a letter from my Mama which my stupid dog has ate”) much in the way that real life does.

  • Belle And Sebastian 7 / 10
Words: Rachel Cawley

love this song!


are those two chavs on the cover?

Not very Belle and Sebastian, that?


i thought

the brief love affair with the annoyingly snobbish word 'chav' had died. but obviously not.

good song though.


...

Great song


the word 'chav' should never die

and it's not snobbish either.

you're right about the song though. good-o.


Awsome

Awsome


Hmm

Good song, not a bad review but a good reviewer. I'm still not sure about the life pursuit in general. Mind you i'm never sure about much


Boring song

from an album I might never listen again.
I used to like B&S so much...


why is Stuart Murdoch trying to be Marc Bolan?

why? Ok song, but completely pointless. Release 'Another Sunny Day', goddamn you!


waiting

for a sunny day before releasing that one. Blues is not an obvious choice of single, i think it is the least like B&S they have been since "get loose". Suki in the graveyard would have been my spring single choice.


Good review!!

I think this song is brilliant and it's one of the best single artworks I've ever seen.