Belle and Sebastian release new single that will make your head spin

Belle & Sebastian have been around since the mid-1990s, but their sound is such that one can draw a direct line back to their debut record. There is enough nuance to what they do that they could keep making records for the next 30 years and no song would seem exactly like any other. Ahead of the group's North American tour, Belle & Sebastian released a new single called "What Happened To You, Son?" and it is what you hope it would be.

The band from Scotland has always had a danceable bit even if some people might not know exactly what they are dancing to. There is some funky mix of chamber music, pop, rock, folk, and Celtic to the band. Yet, the are none of those genres specifically. They exist in all without being a full part of any. A bit like how the moon goes around the earth.

So while some of the group's lyrics, especially early on, could be extremely depressing, you might still dance around to your knees in the bedroom while no one was watching. But the danceability of the music is just an offshoot of the brilliant melodies. While the band members are talented and unique, together they have produced some of the finest melodies in pop music over the last 30 years.

Belle & Sebastian give us the gift of great new music

It should come as no surprise that their jangly-guitar-led new single is much of the same and yet utterly entertaining. There is also a sped-up tempo to the tune. This gives the track the feel it could go off the rails at any moment while a Johnny Marr-influenced guitar fuels the melody and the horn section gives you Madness feels.

Left off Belle & Sebastian's 2023 LP, Late Developers, as the band or record company felt the record was one song too long, music fans have been given the gift of the stand-alone single. That is really how it should be, however. "What Happened to You, Son?" is worthy of a deeper dive.

Belle & Sebastian kicks off a month-long tour of North America on April 23 and then tours Europe beginning in late May. They are fantastic live. Plus, if you love the new single, you'll probably love the full concerts.

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