It's only January, but could this be the album of the year?  Full text...

It's not as much a progress as DCW, but it's easily its equal.  Full text...

Sounding somehow perfectly modern yet refreshingly and celebratory retro, The Life Pursuit is Belle And Sebastian at their freest, delightfully spilling over with great ideas and perfect pop know-how.  Full text...

The Life Pursuit sees the band grow into its new skin with its most confident release to date.  Full text...

The Life Pursuit is unquestionably even more upbeat than its predecessor, but contains newfound degrees of confidence and swagger that elevate it over DCW in nearly every respect, resulting in the finest Belle and Sebastian record top to bottom since Sinister.  Full text...

You're not a brilliant poet. But Stuart is, and that's why he and his band are good.   Full text...

New Pornographers mixed with Le Tigre mixed with Fatboy Slim, with a dash of The Pogues, Stars, and David Bowie.   Full text...

They've taken a stand against "the way things are."  Full text...

'The Life Pursuit' an album as opposed to a collection of songs.   Full text...

This is an easy album to listen to and a tough one to obsess over—these pop and glam hooks require little-to-no thought and offer the ability to mindlessly bounce around.  Full text...

Another unfinished feeling album from Belle & Sebastian then. But this time you know why and where they're headed next. A noble pursuit indeed.  Full text...

Produced by Angelino and frequent Beck collaborator Tony Hoffer, B&S's seventh full-length The Life Pursuit finds the band dipping their crinkled Kinksian toes in the warm, shimmering waters of American pop to produce their sleekest and most commercially appealing disc. Not to mention their rockingest.  Full text...

The Life Pursuit is all swaying tempos and vintage summer-sad melodies that sound like a postcard from home.  Full text...

It's certainly not the best place for a newcomer to start, but it's an interesting (if not wholly satisfying) addition to the band's body of work.  Full text...

That Belle & Sebastian are willing to take the chance, muss up their hair, and recognize that this whole band business requires...well, at least the illusion of an edge, is largely what makes The Life Pursuit successful.   Full text...

The Life Pursuit has rediscovered the clarity of purpose, fully formed aesthetic and top-flight songwriting of Belle and Sebastian's first three albums and key EPs.   Full text...

They'd better be playing some biiiig stages.  Full text...

The Life Pursuit, for all of its enjoyable moments, is the weakest link in their catalog thus far.  Full text...

"The Life Pursuit" continues B&S' growth into more of a timeless pop act, its wry eye toward U.K. life refocused into tighter, swifter arrangements.  Full text...

Belle & Sebastian’s music is not music for everyone. Some will find their sweetness too much, like that of a Redskin lolly. While others live for the happiness the sugar hit brings and save up their money for more and more trips to the corner store to experience the sweetness again and again.  Full text...

Belle and Sebastian are brilliant at pairing heart-tugging melodies with perfectly turned lyrics that favor kiss-offs over come-ons. But on the group's seventh album, a little bit of the bloom has come off the rose.  Full text...

Where once there was soppy indie, now there is solid sunshine pop.  Full text...