''A Bit of Previous'' is the eleventh studio album by Scottish band

Belle and Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released twelve studio albums. They are often compared with acts such as the Smiths and Nick Drake. The band took their name from ...

, released on 6 May 2022 through

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City ap ...

. It was preceded by the singles "Unnecessary Drama", "If They're Shooting at You" and "Young and Stupid". A non-album single, also called "A Bit of Previous", was released in June 2022.

Background

Belle and Sebastian intended to record ''A Bit of Previous'' in

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until the

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forced them to stay in their home city of

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, making the album their first to be recorded there since 1999. The album title is a phrase used by the father of bassist Bobby Kildea to "winkingly acknowledge past relationships", although ''

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'' interpreted the title to be a reference to the

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concept of

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in that "you may already have 'previous' with people you meet".

Critical reception

On review aggregator

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, ''A Bit of Previous'' received a score of 78 out of 100 based on 16 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Quinn Moreland, writing for ''

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'', felt that the "lyrics share a tight thematic focus" characterised by Belle and Sebastian's "clear, aphoristic language", although musically, "''A Bit of Previous'' touches on a little bit of everything". Gary Ryan of ''

'' highlighted the "universally lovely melodies and earworm choruses" and concluded that "All of the well-worn Belle and Sebastian hallmarks are present, but what's truly impressive is how effortless it all sounds this time around." Steve Erickson characterised the album as an "endearingly self-aware nostalgia trip", summarising that it "strikes a balance between the band's familiar sound and proving they still have something to say". Bella Fleming of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' wrote that due to the circumstance of being recorded in Glasgow it at first appeared "set to be standout, yet ultimately misses the mark". Fleming judged that while "carrying the same overall feel of ''

If You're Feeling Sinister ''If You're Feeling Sinister'' is the second album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. It was released in 1996 on Jeepster Records in the United Kingdom and in 1997 by Matador Records in the United States. It is often ranked amon ...

'' and ''

The Boy With the Arab Strap ''The Boy with the Arab Strap'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released in 1998 through Jeepster Records. Background and recording Belle and Sebastian released their second studio album '' If You're Feel ...

'', it lacks the depth and storytelling brilliance that originally made this band so exciting". Reviewing the album for ''

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'', Hayden Merrick stated that from the first track, ''A Bit of Previous'' "refutes the assumption that this is a return-to-form album. ..Even the album title ..seems to admit that golden age Belle and Sebastian will have only a bit part in this new release." Merrick felt that the band still only have "some" of what they used to.

Track listing

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bit of Previous, A 2022 albums Belle and Sebastian albums Matador Records albums