Belle and Sebastian's Storytelling soundtrack is replete with both upbeat ditties and introspective, instrumental ballads -- everything one would expect from the Glasgow-native seven-piece super group. But unlike their four previous successful full-length albums, this album lacks the fluidity and anticipation that the other discs so seamlessly provide; essentially, the storytelling aspect is too apparent and serves as the cause of its disjointedness and marred integrity.
The inclusion of cheeky dialogue from director Todd Solondz's exploration of the dysfunction that abounds in suburban and seemingly, pedestrian lives(a mocking "Cause New Jersey's where America's at!" and "When I'm in high school, I'm not going to play any football, I'm just going to concentrate on class rank") is unfitting and jars the listener, overpowering B&S's trademark fey. And rather than reminding Storytelling viewers of the movie's high points (it flopped in the theaters, despite some excellent performances), the clips are wry non-sequiturs that undermine the music as well as the seriousness of the film.
The soundtrack's instrumental score is comprised of twinkling horns, harmonica and strings creating a sound that ranges from chamber-pop to jazz. The title track is friendly and accessible, featuring a quick tempo complimented by Isobel Campbell and Stevie Jackson's alternating voices, "There's a story and then/ characters will come to you relating events as they choose to/ but all their words and actions come in time with new." Stuart Murdoch tells a tale of a despondent moviemaker in the early B & S hearkening, slow and beautiful "Big John Shaft" in which Stuart laments, "Maybe my career will die." Despite the varied influences and styles, however, each one-minute track is too repetitive and plain to have a lasting impact. And although some of the songs are powerful enough to detach from the soundtrack and forge lives of their own, their obvious links to the film may be too gimmicky to achieve any real success.
As a Belle and Sebastian release, the album is decent -- it has its highs and lows and conveys a range of styles and emotions. But as as soundtrack, the album lacks consistency and the ability to engage. Instead of providing fodder for interpretation, the soundtrack is truly didactic; suffocating listeners with memories of the movie's cleverest moments and an overly self-conscious collection of melodies.
