My Main Concern

Belle & Sebastian “This Letter”

Belle & Sebastian have erred on the side of maximalism for a long time now, partly a result of being a band with so many members. But “This Letter,” a song from their new soundtrack Days of the Bagnold Summer, is almost startlingly minimal: Mostly just Stuart Murdoch’s voice and a gently plucked acoustic guitar, but with an understated muted trumpet solo and a subtle organ part. Murdoch’s melody is gorgeous enough that he doesn’t need to work in choruses or refrains – it’s a classic folk structure, a series of verses broken up by brief musical interludes.

The lyrics are written as a letter to someone very important to Murdoch that he hasn’t talked to in some time, and going on some clues in the first verse, it’s most likely an ex-girlfriend. But the contents aren’t sad, dramatic, or romantic. It’s mostly just admitting that while they’re apart for good reason, she’s still on his mind from time to time. It’s basically a song dealing with a problem I think most any adult can relate to: When you’ve connected with someone and can have a sort of conversation with them you can’t have with anyone else, what do you do with the part of you who needs that particular thing when the relationship has changed and you can’t get it anymore? You can write a letter like this, but I’m inclined to say you probably shouldn’t actually send it.

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