The eight layabouts in the secretive Scotch band Belle and Sebastian are the new kings of the kind of teen-innocence porn that makes indie-rock fans cry “mama.” Manufacturing an illusion of high school cuddliness without actually appealing to teenagers, they … [cont…]

You can’t always believe your ears when you listen to Scotland’s Belle & Sebastian. Its highly mannered folk rock sounds prim and polite, like an aural doily. But its lyrics bristle with sarcasm, irony, even cruelty. Such a pitched combination … [cont…]