As the former bassist to twee darlings Belle & Sebastian, Stuart David is no stranger to intimate, daydream indie pop. Ever since their debut, Up A Tree, was released back in 1999, David and his wife Karn have been marrying gentle electronics to the kind of personal bedroom pop that Belle & Sebastian were founded upon. But working under the Looper moniker hasn’t merely give him license to appropriate the tendencies of his former band; it allows him to have taken the time spent honing his craft in that band and turn it into something wholly original and exactingly constructed. And while there is nothing necessarily sonically diverse about the path that David has taken since he began his strident walk away from Belle & Sebastian, he and his wife, along with a handful of close friends, create miraculous moments in their songs which never seem obvious, nor arrived at in the way you might expect. There is a minimalism to the band’s songs which belies their thoughtfulness.
In advance of the release of their fourth record, tentatively titled Waiting For Trains, Looper has released the first single from that album, the heartfelt “Oh, Skinny Legs.” The song crawls gently from your speakers, as layered keyboards usher in a thumping martial beat which creates a strong guide for David’s resolutely fey vocals. David sings about falling in love and pleading with his legs to bear the weight of what’s to come. And as much as that uncertainty unnerves him, it also creates a tangible excitement that results in this inner monologue. He may be hesitant about how this upstart relationship may resolve, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less eager to find out.
Beats Per Minute is proud to premiere this new track from Looper. Listen to “Oh, Skinny Legs” below. And make sure to check out their tumblr page for more information concerning this upcoming release.
