Belle And Sebastian — The Life Pursuit

The last few Belle And Sebastian records were the equivalent of a gigantic lion yawn, and bands with a history of repeating themselves usually have a hard time going for innovation later in their careers. But by the time you've finished listening to the beautifully atmospheric "Act Of The Apostle," you'll go right back to declaring these Scots your favourite purveyors of twee pop.

Taking more cues from The New Pornographers than Nick Drake, "White Collar Boy" could hold up as the power pop track of the year, while other songs suggest Stuart Murdoch and co. have been rocking everything from Paul Simon to Pizzicato 5 lately. If you've given up on B&S, give The Life Pursuit a spin — you won't believe your ears.

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