The Glasgow twee scene was mostly dominated, as far as I was concerned, by the work of Belle & Sebastian, up until about this album came out. Camera Obscura takes notes from the band, clearly, but sustain their own unique qualities (most notably, the adoring sigh of their female lead singer).
Their lyrics are of the same sardonic innocence twee has been known for, and so I'm not especially impressed in that regard. What holds me is how, from start to finish, this album (mostly) holds it's structure, breaking into Motown slow groove with songs like "A Sisters Social Agony," sitting on an old country mosey in "Before You Cry," and "Books Written for Girls," but always coming back into something warm, particularly in "Knee Deep at the NPL." First track "Suspended from Class" is probably the most Belle & Sebastian-esque they get (I mean, listen to that chorus: "I should be suspended from class/ I don't know my elbow from my arse"), but who's complaining?
It isn't until the last three songs that the album really begins to taper off, making me wonder if ending on a slow note like "Footloose and Fancy Free" was really the best closer to such a relatively upbeat album.
The band would later allow more baroque pop strings to come in, but for now, the band is drenched in dreamy reverb, moping and smiling in the same soft coo. And this is just what I want.
Rating: 9/10
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