And so it begins, Belle & Sebastian's Rough Trade era...the lush production of Trevor Horn (Welcome to the Pleasure Dome) fully compliments the group's pop sensibilities, as demonstrated by the uplifting panorama of the lead single, "Step Into My Office, Baby."

Longtime internet bootleg fave, "Lord Anthony," finally gets the studio treatment fans have been looking for. Even more promising are the new artistic turns the new album takes. "Piazza,

New York Catcher" is a charming folky piece that is vague as to its own motive, whether it's a straightforward paean to our national pastime or some sort of allegorical exercise, that is left for us to judge. "Stay Loose," the album's epic closer, is a dark, complex movement that features some uncharacteristically muscular bass funk and shredding fretwork. All in all, the new album is Belle & Sebastian's most varied and challenging album yet. It's also the band's most rewarding since "If You're Feeling Sinister," and that's high praise indeed.