Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Outlandishly whimsical pop-rock probably doesn’t get much better than this. Catchy as hell and absurdly eccentric, Dear Catastrophe Waitress is one of those albums that’s so heavily caked in charm it borders on being annoying. The screwy lyrics and thick string/wind orchestral production, courtesy of producer Trevor Horn, mash sugar-coated melody after melody into your brain. To prove that it isn’t just the copious layers of instrumentation that makes this album so captivating, the fourth track, “Piazza, New York Catcher,” uses just vocals and acoustic guitar and achieves the same level of eccentricity and catchiness. What exactly it is that gives Belle and Sebastian the ability to pull off such tacky lyrics as, “We need to talk, step into my office baby/ I want to give you the job, a chance for overtime/ Say, my place at nine?” is beyond me. In fact, the album’s luster didn’t hit me until a few days later, when I couldn’t for the life or me get the title track out of my head. Like a Chuck Palahniuk novel, Dear Catastrophe Waitress starts off with an extraordinary level of energy but loses its steam a little over the halfway mark, leaving the listener with a bit of a sour taste. Despite the fading interest, the instantaneously singable lyrics and earlier tracks are certainly worth a purchase; that is, if you enjoy quirky lyrics and downright girlish music. [www.belleandsebastian.co.uk]