God Help The Girl — God Help The Girl

God Help The Girl is the new project from Belle And Sebastian leader Stuart Murdoch, but it's not a solo album.

In fact, God Help The Girl is sort of the opposite of a solo album, and sees Murdoch slip into Phil Spector mode (musically speaking). He assembles a collection of female voices and exquisite string arrangements to express his vision.

The result is an audio story with cinematic punch that is perhaps one of the finest and most consistent albums Murdoch has produced since Belle And Sebastian's The Boy With The Arab Strap.

While Murdoch's songwriting and the arrangements (provided by B&S's Mick Cooke) are the backbone of God Help The Girl, credit also has to go to the discovery of Catherine Ireton, who sings the lion's share of the songs. Ireton, along with a few other unknown singers, auditioned for Murdoch after seeing a want ad. Her voice is rich and textured and is able to carry off both the twee pop numbers and the more soulful '60s-inspired songs.

While B&S fans will miss hearing Murdoch's voice (though it does appear a few times as a teaser), he has done a good job finding female voices that fit into his songs as well as his own would, if not better.

And that is ultimately why God Help The Girl will thrill anyone who fell in love with Belle And Sebastian in the '90s — this album sounds like something the band could have put out if they had stayed preciously twee rather than slowly transforming into a fun, upbeat pop band. The lushness, the heartbreak and the daydreaming is all here in a more sophisticated and girlier form.