Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Just when they seemed sure to fade away into twee-pop irrelevance, this obscure Scottish indie-pop act releases their strongest album in seven years. With lots of help from uber-commercial producer Trevor Horn (ABC,Yes,Pet Shop Boys,t.A.T.u.), singer-songwriter Stuart Murdoch finally gets back to leading his band. It was a nice idea to have everyone else share the vocal spotlight onFold Your HandsandStorytelling, but wasn't Murdoch's delicate voice so much of what made us all fall in love with the band in the first place? Clearly, Horn understands this, just as he understands that the preciously lo-fi sound had to go. Horn brings every instrument into a crystal-clear, lovingly retro,Top of the Popsclarity. It's their most diverse album by far, from the marching, uptempo(!) drums on "Step Into My Office Baby" (which sounds likeMelaniemeetsAdam and the Ants) to the fractured, New Wave-organ-driven "Stay Loose" (the close as B&S; has come toTalking Headsterritory). What a nice surprise.--Mike McGonigal