Belle & Sebastian – How To Solve Our Human Problems (Part 2)

The second installment of Belle & Sebastian's How to Solve Our Human Problems is a fitting halfway mark for the project. It also fills the apparent quotas that exist on post-The Life Pursuit B&S releases: lyrics that fluctuate between saccharine and insipid, a '60s throwback, an 'everything-but-the-kitchen-sink' experiment and a couple of tracks forefronting non-Stuart Murdoch band members. The five tracks are fairly evenly split, with Murdoch taking the vocal reins on tracks one, three, five and Sarah Martin and Stevie Jackson getting two and four, respectively.

Curiously absent are the disco/electronic elements that the band have been toying with for the last couple of albums. This works well on such a short release as the lyrics are given space to manoeuvre and sink in, rather than having to fight for attention.

Despite the weird, loose chanting that bookends the song, Show Me the Sun is a great opener, with a saucy guitar lick reminiscent of Legal Man and subtly biting lyrics hidden beneath the veneer of a soft croon. I'll Be Your Pilot might be syrupy to the point of exhaustion (like a friend's incessant need to show you baby snaps), but the overwhelming sentiment that pours out of Murdoch saves the song from being a disingenuous appeal to emotion (the song is written with his first son, Denny, in mind).

Same Star isn't a Sarah Martin standout in the vein of Asleep on a Sunbeam or I Didn't See it Coming, but simply a pleasant, inoffensive song. Stevie Jackon's Cornflakes, on the other hand, is the most adventurous song on the EP, but suffers from overly simplistic lyrics.

Overall, while the EP has its highs and lows – though it's more firmly grounded in 'average' than last month's effort – it's still a nice listen, something that is sadly becoming par for the course with Belle & Sebastian.

Listen to: Show Me the Sun, I'll Be Your Pilot