Belle and Sebastian: Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (Matador): In which the band who got their start making the finest music for hermit crabs since The Smiths explore their inner Kinks, uncover a dancey edge, and pen some of their hookiest tunes in at least a decade. They set a high standard by opening with “Nobody’s Empire,” a wordy epic that’s one of the best songs so far this year, and then live up to that standard by following it with the less wordy but catchier “Allie,” which is the absolute best song so far this year. After that, things get a little uneven, but never enough that you won’t want to return later. Far from their career peak, but definitely a highlight. A-
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