[CD Review] Stuart Murdoch, 'God Help the Girl' (Matador)

Sorry, Belle & Sebastian fans. Stuart Murdoch may be the brains behind this project—the eventual soundtrack to his partially written musical film—but don’t expect a Tigermilk-like masterpiece. Never mind that the B&S front man recruited his band mates to play on these showtune-y ditties (backed by a 45-piece orchestra), or that he jazzed up B&S favorites “Funny Little Frog” and “Act of the Apostle” for the occasion. The trouble with God Help the Girl, a pretty but forgettable affair, is the singing. Murdoch hired other people (mostly ladies) to do it for him, which is baffling considering his delicate, lispy whisper puts them all to shame.

Related Content

• Thoughts from Saturday at Matador at 21
  October 4, 2010
• Belle and Sebastian Want to Write About YOU
  October 6, 2010
• Not in Vegas for Matador 21? Watch GBV Reunite on MySpace!
  October 1, 2010
• Alternate Perspectives: 'God Help the Girl'
  June 25, 2009
• Go Yuck Yourself
  April 14, 2011

More About

• Stuart Murdoch
• Catherine Ireton
• Belle and Sebastian

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Of the nine singers chosen here, Irish unknown Catherine Ireton takes lead on the majority of the tracks; her voice is perfectly smooth, unfeeling and bland. Murdoch would have done better to assign the whole thing to Asya, from Seattle sister trio Smoosh. The 17-year-old ably lends her sulky croon to “I Just Want His Jeans,” a tense ode of sorts to young lust, whose lyrics (“An hour in the park or an hour on the couch/With the boy of my choice if he makes me go ‘ouch’!”) land somewhere between naughty and creepy.

Generally speaking, Murdoch does not stray far from his usual subject matter: Some boy or girl feels lonely (the nursery rhyme-esque “Pretty Eve In the Tub”), bored (the almost-too-cute “God Help the Girl”) or shy (the lush, dreamy “Hiding ’Neath My Umbrella”), with upbeat melodies belying their troubled minds. Head-bopper “I’ll Have to Dance With Cassie” does hint at a somewhat-happy ending, as Ireton substitutes boogying for a boyfriend, but it’s hard to piece together any sort of story line or care much about these characters. Best to wait for the movie (or the next B&S album).