A Belle And Sebastian live album has been a long time coming. The Scottish indie outfit have been bombarded by fan requests for just such a release for years, and it’s easy to see why: they’re a fantastic live band who excel in connecting with their audiences. This 23-song collection contains the pick of tracks from their 2019 tour, and from their appearances at their own Boaty Weekender festival, making it a sort of ‘best of’ live album, though there are one or two of the band’s most famous works missing, which might irk some. But there’s also plenty of big hitters, chief among them The Boy With The Arab Strap.

The track, taken from the 1998 album of the same name, is one of the band’s most distinctive calling cards, and the seven-minute version here, complete with charming audience interactions and that unmistakable melody, is an absolute triumph. As is Wrapped Up In Books, If She Wants Me, and the jaunty Nice Day For A Sulk, in particular.

There’s a great range of material too, with My Wandering Days Are Over from their debut album Tigermilk getting a wonderful outing, and the tender The Fox In The Snow transforming itself spectacularly from quiet and introspective ballad into a space-filling delight. Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John, originally recorded with Norah Jones, is likewise beautifully reworked.

The personality of Stuart Murdoch and his bandmates shines through throughout, and for a live album, replicating that connection from the night in question is crucial. And that’s something What To Look For In Summer does perfectly. It was never in doubt that Belle And Sebastian had the songs to make a live album work, but the real triumph here is in capturing the magic of the band’s live shows, and preserving that essence for repeated listens in our current gig-free lives.

What To Look For In Summer tracklist

1. The Song Of The Clyde

2. Dirty Dream Number Two

3. Step Into My Office, Baby

4. We Were Beautiful

5. Seeing Other People

6. If She Wants Me

7. Beyond The Sunrise

8. Wrapped Up In Books

9. Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John

10. Nice Day For A Sulk

11. I Can See Your Future

12. Funny Little Frog

13. The Fox In The Snow

14. If You’re Feeling Sinister

15. My Wandering Days Are Over

16. The Wrong Girl

17. Stay Loose

18. The Boy Done Wrong Again

19. Poor Boy

20. Dog On Wheels

21. The Boy With The Arab Strap

22. I Didn’t See It Coming

23. Belle And Sebastian

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.