Belle & Sebastian – Late Developers

Some acts are truly lovely, pitching their tent among the sunflowers and not in the shade. While they hail from the very overcast Glasgow, Belle & Sebastian have long been delivering upbeat Franco-pop. They may have aged in the chronological sense, but they still have the flower of youthful love on their latest, Late Developers.

A surprise release revealed only days before it dropped, and coming fast on the heels of last year’s A Bit of Previous (QRO review), Late Developers perhaps wasn’t needed – or perhaps it was, as we all need something bright these days. And Late is bright, such as the shining “Give a Little Time”, the expanding hope of “I Don’t Know What You See In Me”, or the big, celebratory closing title track. There’s even a twee harpsichord sound in “Will I Tell You a Secret”.

In this era of gritty reboots and diminishing returns, it’s just wonderful that Belle & Sebastian can be as lovely as ever.