Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
Push Barman to Open Old Wounds is a 2005 two-disc/triple-LP compilation released by Belle and Sebastian. Blender Magazine described the collection as "25 charming tales of shy girls dabbling in photography and bookish boys dabbling in shy girls." Content. The compilation contains the singles and EPs they released for Jeepster Records: The track listing features every song on the aforementioned EPs, listed in chronological order. Critical reception. "Push Barman to Open Old Wounds" received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100  to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 89, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". Scott Plagenhoef of "Pitchfork" gave the album a very favorable review, stating, "The most beloved indie pop band since The Smiths, Belle and Sebastian are also probably the best. This collection would work like their own "Hatful of Hollow" and "Louder Than Bombs" were the first half not sadly missing their early BBC Sessions, and the second forced to omit their "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" singles and Peel Session tracks. As it stands, the first is a testament to the  power and pull of one of the most singular and instantly lovable pop bands of our time; the second is a gentle suggestion that they took the correct post-mainstream fame steps after all, avoiding self-parody (see: Morrissey) and finding a way to be playful without becoming too precious (see: Lawrence in his post-Felt years). In combination, it's a perfect way into the world of Belle and Sebastian, even if the band spends the second half of the disc trying to redecorate that space."