Belle & Sebastian: Tigermilk

What the hell is going on here? That is the only question one can ask when the lispy, Scotsman whines the line “My brother had confessed he was gay to take the heat off me for a while. He stood up with a sailor friend; made it known upon my sister’s wedding day…” at the beginning of the very first track on the group’s debut album. This stuff makes The Smiths look like Metallica. Wimpy is the adjective that first comes to mind, but that adjective may describe the sound but not the content of the music. These are some clever songs that can tickle both the funny bone and the soul (gag). There’s a nice feeling of nostalgia and suburban comfort built into the soft melodies and tones of each song. Despite all this, I still feel kinda funny inside listening to this twee pop, and generally only bump it through headphones in the confines of my pink bedroom in the folds of my pink comforter, under my pink satin sheets.