The Life Pursuit

デビュー10年目という節目にあたるベルセバが、シングル集に続いて約2年ぶり6thアルバムをリリース！
『ヤァ！カタストロフィ・ウェイトレス』に続く本作は、原点に戻って“シンプル＋メロディ＋暗さ＋詩世界”という、ベルセバ節炸裂の内容！また前作でのトレヴァー・ホーンに代わって、今回はベックら等で知られるトニー・ホッファーをプロデューサーに起用。スチュワート・マードックの人情深くて面白おかしい作風が全体に満ち溢れ、この“彼らしさ”が傷心とユーモアの極点に達した感もあります。また彼が描き出す登場人物たちの人生を追うことも、アルバムを聴くうえでの楽しみのひとつ。人生を極彩色に染める、パーフェクト・ポップ・ミュージック。ベルセバ結成10年目の傑作が完成！

Entertainment Weekly - "[They] have crafted a work more elastic and ebullient than their '90s releases." -- Grade: A- Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[There's] a greater clarity to Murdoch's prose which, combined with the cinematic ambience of syncopated piano and mechanical percussion, instantly raises the bar for this album above its predecessors." Mojo - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[G]reat songwriting galore on Belle And Sebastian's most danceable outing to date." Magnet - "THE LIFE PURSUIT continues WAITRESS' exploration of warm '70s AM pop..." Rolling Stone - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's clear that band leader Stuart Murdoch still has plenty of major league tunes left in the tank." Q - Ranked #74 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006." NME (28/01/06, P.33) - 8 (out of 10) - "There's a real confidence here, not quite a strut, but definitely a swagger." Music Week (28/01/06, p.24) - "It is the sound of a band truly finding their feet...the boldest and best album of their career." Uncut (03/06, p.91) - 4 (out of 5) - "The state Belle And Sebastian are in has never sounded better."

'The Life Pursuit' is the seventh album from Scottish indie stalwarts Belle & Sebastian. With their Smiths-meet-Simon & Garfunkel melodies, Belle & Sebastian have forged a reputation for crafting sensitive-yet-subtle songs that pull at the heartstrings without sacrificing their keen pop sensibilities. Includes the single 'Funny Little Frog'.|