Belle & Sebastian - How To Solve Our Human Problems EP 3

The final installment of Belle & Sebastian’s three-part album will be available on 16 February as a single CD or triple box set of all three 12” EPs. Fumbling through the first two parts, we enjoyed about half the songs, with too much filler leaving a bad taste in our ears. This final piece of the puzzle opens with the funky ‘Poor Boy’ (definitely not the Nick Drake tune), a body-swerving groover that feels like a Bananarama revival. Unfortunately, the second part of ‘Everything Is Now’ suffers from their decision to release part one back on EP 1 in December. Short memories being what they are, few layabouts could be arsed to dig out the earlier EP to complete the package, but I can report that the organ-driven Part 2 is a swaying piece of library-styled music that could’ve soundtracked a Swinging Glasgow travelogue back in the Swinging 60s. A melancholic Murdoch vocal is supplemented by gorgeous harmonies from Martin & Co., and the full track may work better once the full album is assembled so listeners can hear everything together. Until then, everything is…later.

‘Too Many Tears’ continues the party atmosphere of this third installment: the band sound downright giddy, shedding the melancholia for an ear-friendly, radio magnet that will stick with you throughout this unusually long, cold Winter. ‘There Is An Everlasting Song’ is a finger-snapping, Donovan-meets-Cat Stevens troubadour singalong, and the whole happy enchilada wraps with ‘Best Friend’, a boop-oop-e-doop, vocal wrapped up in a Spectorish production for the ages that in no way reflects anything they’ve done before. It’s also the best thing they’ve done in years. Of course, if released as a single it’ll sell boatloads and pull in a whole new generation of fans raised on girl groups and Yearning albums.

By far the best of the three EPs, I wish we didn’t have to wait this long to get here. Old timers and fence-sitters may want to start (and end) here, although completists will probably want everything. Preferably in one sitting!