Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
2015 studio album by Belle and Sebastian
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Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is the ninth studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian, released on 19 January 2015.[2] It was the first album by the group to be distributed by Matador Records worldwide.[3] The album was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2014, and marked the first time the band worked with producer Ben H. Allen III. "The Party Line" was announced as the first single from the album on 29 October 2014, with its first airplay on BBC 6 Music.
| Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 January 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Studios | Maze Studios, Atlanta, Georgia[1] | |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 61:16 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Ben H. Allen III | |||
| Belle and Sebastian chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance | ||||
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The album reached number nine on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard 200.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.2/10[4] |
| Metacritic | 76/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[7] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[8] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| The Independent | [10] |
| Los Angeles Times | [11] |
| NME | 7/10[12] |
| Pitchfork | 6.6/10[13] |
| Rolling Stone | [14] |
| Spin | 7/10[15] |
On review aggregator website Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5] Highlighting the group's increased sense of rhythm and attention to dance music, Stephen Carlick of Exclaim! wrote that "Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is a statement record that Belle and Sebastian are still expert songwriters, with more than a few musical cards left to play."[16]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Belle & Sebastian, all lead vocals by Stuart Murdoch except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nobody's Empire" | 5:08 | |
| 2. | "Allie" | 3:16 | |
| 3. | "The Party Line" | 4:14 | |
| 4. | "The Power of Three" | Sarah Martin | 3:57 |
| 5. | "The Cat with the Cream" | 5:17 | |
| 6. | "Enter Sylvia Plath" | Murdoch and Martin | 6:48 |
| 7. | "The Everlasting Muse" | Murdoch and Martin | 5:25 |
| 8. | "Perfect Couples" | Stevie Jackson with Martin | 5:29 |
| 9. | "Ever Had a Little Faith?" | 4:21 | |
| 10. | "Play for Today" | Murdoch and Dee Dee Penny[1] | 7:33 |
| 11. | "The Book of You" | Martin | 4:23 |
| 12. | "Today (This Army's for Peace)" | 5:25 |
4-LP box set track listing
Disc One: The Party Line
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Party Line" | 4:10 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Everlasting Muse" | 5:21 |
| 2. | "The Power of Three" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Today (This Army's for Peace)" | 5:24 |
Disc Two: Enter Sylvia Plath
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Enter Sylvia Plath" | 6:51 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Born to Act" (bonus track) | 3:08 |
| 2. | "Two Birds" (bonus track) | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Ever Had a Little Faith?" (extended version) | 7:48 |
Disc Three: Play for Today
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Play for Today" | 7:33 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nobody's Empire" | 5:07 |
| 2. | "Piggy in the Middle" (bonus track) | 4:18 |
| 3. | "The Book of You" | 4:19 |
Disc Four: Perfect Couples
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Perfect Couples" (extended version) | 7:48 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Allie" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "A Politician's Silence" (bonus track) | 5:41 |
| 3. | "The Cat with the Cream" | 5:13 |
Charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] | 57 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 40 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] | 69 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 12 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[22] | 49 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 30 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[24] | 14 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[25] | 86 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] | 24 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[27] | 23 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[28] | 17 |
| Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[29] | 12 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] | 31 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[31] | 9 |
| US Billboard 200[32] | 28 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[33] | 7 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[34] | 8 |