2020 was a strange year for musicians who instead of hitting the road were instead stuck at home making meditation videos. In lieu of touring, Belle & Sebastian released live album, What To Look For In Summer. The tracks were taken from the band’s 2019 world tour and their Boaty Weekender cruise that they organized and headlined. The double album covers songs from the band’s debut Tigermilk through to the EP collection How to Solve Our Human Problems.
The first disc lifts off with crowd favourite “Dirty Dream #2” and 2003 single “Step Into My Office, Baby”. “Seeing Other People” humorously gets introduced by singer/bandleader Stuart Murdoch as an exploration of “early sexual politics of some of the members of Belle & Sebastian”. An electric guitar riff powers “Wrapped Up In Books” before the first disc closes with highlight “Funny Little Frog” from The Life Pursuit album that gets several whoops from the crowd and terrific backing vocals.
Disc two starts with a couple tracks from breakthrough album If You’re Feeling Sinister including a haunting take on the title track. Ex-bandmember Isobel Campbell gets a shout out at the beginning of early album track “My Wandering Days Are Over”. The disco gets turned up on “Stay Loose” and the funk turned out on the bass heavy “Poor Boy” with Murdoch and Sarah Martin sharing vocal duties. The disc closes with several classic tracks including “The Boy With the Arab Strap” before Martin brings her best vocal take on penultimate track “I Didn’t See It Coming”.
All fans will have quibbles with some of the track selections but such is the enduring legacy of Belle & Sebastian that virtually all 23 of these tracks could be swapped for others with little dip in quality. The charm, humour, and musicianship of the band all shine throughout. While nothing will beat an in-person night with Belle & Sebastian, this double disc is sure to delight fans as they wait for the next tour.
8/10
The Light Appears 