The Boy With The Arab Strap by Belle & Sebastian
by Lana Fleischli
As I'm pretty sure I’ve said before, I often write my first drafts of music reviews for Desperately Seeking Serious about a week or so before I post. It gives me time away from it, and time to look it over again. The reason I’m saying that is that in less than two days I begin my junior year of high school. It’s weird to say that, because I spent basically all of my sophomore year online, so I never really felt like a sophomore. You can imagine how I feel saying I’m supposed to be a junior in 2 days. With all that said, I felt the need to listen to something comforting, but new. I feel like The Boy With The Arab Strap was just what I needed. It’s been a really long and stressful few days, so an album that is pretty chill, soothing, and lovely to listen to felt just right.
Let me explain the “comfort” part a bit more. Oftentimes, I find things from the past very comforting because they can make you remember good memories. When I was 10, I went to Coachella with my mom and we watched Belle & Sebastian. The show was lively and really fun. Then, the song, “The Boy With The Arab Strap” came on, and they began to invite people on the stage. Next thing you know, I’m dancing on stage with Belle & Sebastian at Coachella! Crazy! But that’s what I mean by “comforting.” A warm feeling encompasses me when I remember things from a long time ago that I associate with music.
The other thing that I love about this album are the instrumentals. It varies in each song from wind instruments in “Sleep The Clock Around” to a really strong drum section in “The Rollercoaster Ride.” Not to mention that they managed to make the guitar shine through really well in each song. Each guitar section has a pretty different vibe that is still keeping with the feel of the album.
Speaking of summer ending, the song “A Summer Wasting” really made me think about how the summer they describe compares to mine. Very different to say the least. I was busy, and in the song, they aren’t busy at all! However, I felt that it really fit to hear a song that is a reflection of summer right as mine is ending.
The Boy With The Arab Strap was really just what I needed this week. The music really soothed me when I needed it to, and made me focus when I was trying to hear all of the different instruments that they were playing. It was comforting and new, and if you haven’t listened to it, you should!