Belle & Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister

With intimate storytelling, intricate orchestration, and catchy melodies, If You’re Feeling Sinister established the Scottish collective among the most eloquent indie bands of the ‘90s. Using a breezy mix of influences (mid-century French pop, Brit folk and ‘80s indie pop, to name a few) songwriter Stuart Murdoch creates characters who cast the mould for Wes Anderson’s twee, bookish heroes—they’re pensive and precocious, maudlin and mischievous. But ultimately it’s the shimmering melodies of songs like “Dylan in the Movies” and “The Fox in the Snow” that make the album an unforgettable triumph.