I've been checking out some bands that escaped my attention the first time around, and I don't think I've heard any Belle and Sebastian before. This one is relatively recent (they've been around since 1995) and I very much enjoy their delightful pop music.
And it may be their very sunny pop that have kept them from most American ears. Running contrary to most of the mainstream, they present lilting musical gems that hearken back to sixties pop without sounding derivative. To some this can come off as a bit twee, but they are really good at it, and the generally downbeat lyrical content helps to balance the saccharine music.
Comparisons with Swan Dive and Camera Obscura seem pretty obvious, but Stuart Murdoch's melodies seem more fresh and new compared to Camera Obscura's less accessable melodies, and the band is a talented bunch that all contribute, rather than Swan Dive's more one-man-band approach.
If music makes you feel good, maybe it doesn't really need to do anything else.
