In 1996 a newly formed band recorded a debut album at Stow College in Glasgow. Recorded and mixed within five days and released in a limited run of a now legendary 1000 copies, Belle & Sebastian’s Tigermilk quickly grabbed the attention of Glasgow’s burgeoning indie pop scene, critics, and major record labels. The success of Tigermilk was a credit to the bands hauntingly catchy melodies, the classical literary quality of Stuart Murdoch’s lyrical compositions, and the fact that there are boobs right on the god damned cover.
I’m serious. Full frontal boobage. Check it out. Tehehehe. Boobs.
Pioneering a musical style and aesthetic that would somewhat derisively become known as “twee,” Tigermilk is brimming with a sensitive and reflective energy, a far cry from the testosterone fueled machismo permeating rock music at the time. It’s also got boobies like literally right on it. You don’t even have to open the linear notes, they’re right there.
And not just any boobies. These are art boobies. That means we can look at them all we want and the grown ups can’t yell at us or nothin! Heck you can share art boobs on facebook and they can’t even do nothin about it! But like, don’t, cause you’ll probably get in big trouble. Look just be cool about this, OK?
Electric Renaissance, track five on the album, is it’s biggest outlier and boldest stroke. The decision to place an electronica song right smack dab in the middle of what is essentially an indie folk record immediately identified Belle & Sebastian as album master craftsmen. The placement of Electric Renaissance is so innovative that it is only mildly overshadowed by the fact that there are boobies right on the frigin cover of this thing.
What’s she got there, a stuffed animal? What is that a tiger? Is that Hobbs? Hey Hobbs, you make a better door than a window, know what I’m sayin? Quit blockin the boobs! Hahahah. Titties.
Though future records like If You’re Feeling Sinister and Dear Catastrophe Waitress would find the band more commercial success, particularly in America, all of Belle & Sebastian’s post Tigermilk output has suffered from an almost complete lack of boobs. Just one look at The Boy with the Arab Strap and you can immediately tell “hey, there’s no boobies on this thing at all!”
Man that tiger is so friggin lucky. He gets to see so much more boobie than us! I wish I was Hobbs.