What to Look for in Summer

Editors’ Notes Compiled from various dates on the group’s 2019 world tour—including their Boaty Weekender cruise ship trek through the Mediterranean—this 23-track live album is the ultimate testament to Belle and Sebastian’s transformation from the saddest group in indie rock to the jolliest band on the festival circuit. What to Look for in Summer isn’t necessarily an accurate recreation of a typical Belle and Sebastian live show—traditional set-list staples like “Sleep the Clock Around,” “Legal Man,” and “I’m a Cuckoo” are nowhere to be found here. But it certainly captures the jovial, freewheeling feel of one, as ringleader Stuart Murdoch playfully shoots down audience requests, encourages onstage dance parties, swaps out the lyrics about Thatcher for Boris Johnson disses, and cheekily laments the lack of mid-show cocktail service. Balancing crowd-pleasing favorites like the Northern soul-style signature “The Boy With the Arab Strap” and the eternally wistful “If You’re Feeling Sinister” with rarely aired nuggets like “Nice Day for a Sulk” and “My Wandering Days Are Over,” What to Look for in Summer is a celebration of one of the deepest, most consistently rewarding songbooks in the indie pop canon, executed by a veteran group that’s acquired all the vim and vigor of a Motown revue.