Looper - Up a Tree

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Anyone who liked even just a little bit "Space Boy Dream" on Belle and Sebastian's latest album, The Boy With The Arab Strap, will like Up a Tree. That's due to the simple fact that Looper is Stuart David, the "other Stuart" from the Glasgow group who was speaking on that track, along with his wife, Karn David, and his brother, Ronnie Black. Also, Looper's sound is not unlike Belle and Sebastian - only Looper is a little less guitar-oriented and poppy.

"Impossible Things #2" has the same sort of monotone narrator that "Space Boy Dream" had, but never fear: The whole album isn't so quasi-experimental. Up a Tree is neat and catchy in a simple way. "Burning Flies" is dancy and just in time for spring - it really makes you want to go out and burn flies in the park.

The album's overall theme is, obviously, tree-related: The opening track is "...the Treehouse" and the last track is "Back to the Treehouse," and there are pictures that imply foliage. So it's probably not coincidental that Up a Tree makes you feel like opening all the windows, watering all the plants and letting spring in.

- annie holub