Album Review: Belle and Sebastian, Days Of The Bagnold Summer OST

Originally an award-winning 2012 graphic novel, Days Of The Bagnold Summer is now the feature film debut of Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), complete with a rather gorgeous soundtrack, courtesy of everyone’s favourite Scottish melancholics, Belle and Sebastian.

There are two re-recordings of classics from the past here, including ‘I Know Where The Summer Goes’, originally released on 1998’s This Is Just A Modern Rock Song EP, and ‘Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying’, which first appeared on 1996’s If You’re Feeling Sinister, when the outfit were in their heyday. The former has the perfect bittersweet blend of innocence and sadness, the aural equivalent of a David Nicholls novel, complete with aching violin solo; the latter, while not exactly galloping, is about as shiny and happy as you can expect from B&S.

Indeed, my main criticism of later period Belle and Sebastian is that they became too whimsical for their own good, but there’s a real beauty and substance to songs featured here, like the tender acoustic pop of ‘Safety Valve’ and ‘This Letter’. Lead single ‘Sister Buddha’, meanwhile, is the best thing they’ve recorded in ages, all strident confidence, catchy melody, crashing guitars and military drum tattoo, with Stuart Murdoch sounding positively, um, positive.

Some of the instrumentals, which make up four out of 13 tracks, blend too easily into the background. But in general, from the dark folk of ‘Did The Day Go Just Like You Wanted?’ to the delicate ‘I’ll Keep It Inside’, this is enjoyable listening.

Out now.