Playlouder - Music is the Network

Not only does every song on Pelle Carlberg’s album The Lilac Time sound exactly like a Belle & Sebastian song, but in an act of pure bare faced cheek, the first song is titled ‘1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)’. Carlberg even sounds like singer Stuart Murdouch. In principle, this isn’t right and is deserving of derision, however, if you were going to have a fake Belle & Sebastian, then Pelle Carlberg really has to be your man. Rip off it may be, but it’s very good rip off.

It’s definitely more reminiscent of Belle & Seb’s later, more poppy era. It’s smooth, joyful and accessible. There’s nothing as sweeping or beguiling as say ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane’; as an act Carlberg is less mysterious, but his lyrics are smart and funny, with catchy choruses and rhythms that keep your feet tapping.  The main theme that runs through the album is getting older, whether recalling dodgy encounters on the street back in 1983, or taking a maturity test on Facebook that places you as being in your 50s.  It is confessional, without ever being maudlin or sappy. His melancholy is always cheerful.

It’s a charm offensive that pays off. The album is short enough to avoid being repetitious, and the songs are catchy enough to stick in the mind individually. Too dismiss him as a Belle & Sebastian rip-off would be too cruel, Carlberg is clearly a talented writer, and honest joyful records are too hard to come by. Though going beyond homage and inspiration to borderline replication is not recommended for any artist.