Hands down Belle and Sebastian are one of the most exciting musically gifted bands in the alt/pop genre. With melodies that hook after a first dose to the almost ridiculous subject matter of their song lyrics, you can’t hide from the influence this band will have over you. “The Life Pursuit” is a departure from their former more acoustically driven albums. But even with the addition of electronic whizzes and buzzes, their songs are still crack-like addicting. We saw them on tour earlier this year and our recommendation is to fly, drive or hitchhike to experience them live if you can. Rumor has it that they are playing a free concert in NYC this summer. We will keep and eye out and report back.