Long after Radiohead decided that traditional rock songs were "beneath" them and started their weird sojurn into God-knows-what and the pop-punk exoplosion of the late Nineties wilted on the vine, very little about modern music gets me excited enough to buy an album totally cold with no advance listens. Apart from Weezer last year and Death Cab for Cutie recently, I really haven't purchased a new release by a current band in a long time. But that all changed last week when I got "The Life Pursuit".

If you have the 2003 "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" disc (or the harder-to-find "Books" single from the following year) the new direction of B&S probably won't be much of a shock for you. It's not that the band has "turned their back" on what got them the devoted cult following they earned with more laid-back releases like "Tigermilk" or "If You're Feeling Sinister", but simply that they've opened their musical pallette to include Seventies glam and pomp (well, their versions of the two). And the combination is infectious if you let it in.

Sure, fans of their more acoustic material will feel betrayed, and I can sympathize with them if they feel Stuart Murdoch and the band are forgetting their roots. But it's senseless to hold Belle and Sebastian to a fixed style, when there have been hints of this kind of musical direction in previous releases (anyone recall "Electronic Renaissance"'s odd position on the Tigermilk record?). What's more, like any good artists the group brings something unexpected and new to the styles they've embraced.

That's called true artistry, folks. If the record wasn't half as enjoyable as it is, you might have a point.

But songs like "The Blues are Still Blue", "We are The Sleeyheads", "Funny Little Frog", and "White Collar Boy" are immensely likable on repeat listens, and the gems that emerge like "Mornington Crescent" and "Act of the Apostles (Parts I and II)" roll around in your head long after you've removed the disc from your CD player (which won't be for a while, of course). This is good music from a great band who continue to defy the expectations that were placed upon them a decade ago and still retain that special something which makes them a force to be reckoned with.

So pick up "The Life Pursuit" and enjoy listening to it on repeat, as there isn't a bad track on the entire disc. Rock music rarely gets this enjoyable or listenable these days, so treasures like "Pursuit" should be acknowledged. Otherwise, it's just the same old crap but with a different album cover. And that's the artistic kiss of death.

I find it quite odd that any Belle and Sebastian fan would come in here and give The Life Pursuit a one star. I truly can't figure out what fans expect of musicians. Some want an exact duplicate of previous efforts. Boring boring boring. Here Belle and Sebastian have released a great album of fresh and exciting new tunes. Admitingly, I raised an eyebrow at the first listen though now that I'm on my fourth listen, this stuff is great. It's uplifting and witty, as Belle and Sebastian have always been. It would seem to me that anybody complaining about this cd simply has a problem with change. Ironically, the cd really isn't much of a departure from their previous efforts. For those who want to complain, stick in 'If You're Feeling Sinister' and just listen to it over and over again. For those who are expecting Belle and Sebastian to grow musically with new fresh ideas, definitely get The Life Pursuit.

It seems that most reviewers can only frame their comments about a new Belle and Sebastian album in terms of the influences they can detect. Hey - that sounds like Thin Lizzy. Ah - now they're doing Sly Stone. This sounds like Glam Rock. Etc.

All that talk seems to be rubbish to me.

The band has always had their own sound, and they still do. The writing on this album is brilliant - both musically and lyrically. There are so many great songs - "Act of the Apostle," "Another Sunny Day," "White Collar Boy," "Funny Little Frog," "Mornington Crescent" - I could go on. The musicianship and production values are better than ever.

It's true, B&S have left their lo-fi sound behind. Have Stuart Murdoch & Co. forsaken their roots, or does each album bring them closer to realizing their original vision? Or does that vision continue to grow and take shape with each new album? Only they know for sure, but it doesn't really matter. It's all great stuff. Press "play" and enjoy it.

Belle and Sebastian, the world's favorite seven piece Scottish indie-pop band, have been together since 1996, recording seven albums over the years. Stuart Murdoch and his six band mates have become favorites among cults and critics alike. On their new album, The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian throw 70's rock, sun kissed Cali-pop, glam, down-and-dirty funk, soul, and country together into the mixing pot.

Belle and Sebastian have been labeled with many terms, including twee pop, chamber pop, and literate, trying to describe their wide range of sound. In a nutshell, The Life Pursuit is one big party. A party filled with horns, Hammond organs, handclaps, synthesizers, flute, and even a funky serving of clavinet on "Song for Sunshine."

On The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian continue to explore their sound. There's a T-Rex style boogie on "The Blues Are Still Blue." There's a touch of Motown on "To Be Myself." The opening riff of "White Collar Boy" is reminiscent of Norman Greenbaum's "Spirt in the Sky." If you want to test yourself, listen to the ridiculously catchy "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" and try not to sing along. The two down-tempo tracks, "Dress Up In You" and the album closer, "Mornington Crescent" are both beautiful and fit in right in place, despite being surrounded by happy, catchy tunes.

The Life Pursuit is beautiful, bittersweet, catchy, and near perfect pop music. There is not a single weak track. Some standouts include "Another Sunny Day", "White Collar Boy", "The Blues Are Still Blue," "For The Price of Tea", and "Mornington Crescent."

Original discoverers of B&S (I commend you all for that) seem to feel betrayed by the growth of B&S over the years. The Life Pursuit is as good as anything they have ever done. Is it different, sure it is. The Beatles evolved and became even greater over the years. I don't see how anyone could not like tunes like "Funny Little Frog", "We Are The Sleepyheads", "White Collar Boy", "Dress Up In You" or "Sukie In The Graveyard". On top of that, Stevie contributes a gem in "To Be Myself Completely". If you felt that Tigermilk or Sinister were the best albums of all-time, that's great. However, compare "The Life Pursuit" to anything else being released in 2006 and I challenge you to find many complete albums as good as this. Even better, if you get the chance to see B&S live, they will blow you away with their musicianship and Stuart has become an engaging front man.

Belle & Sebastian is a great band and continues to be a great band. I look forward to their next release and tour.