The musical in some forms is absolutely great. Think Guys and Dolls, High Society, Annie Get Your Gun…and try not to think about certain people who have ruined it. Or bands whose publishers have made the bizarre suggestion that a flimsy plot could serve as a link for their greatest hits…it’s happened too many times. I’ve not seen any of these, with the exception of the film version of Mamma Mia. (I have also never burnt in hell for eternity, been to see Celine Dion in concert or been bitten by a poisonous snake, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to).

When I heard that Belle and Sebastian were writing a musical, I was slightly cynical, though I suppose there are all sorts of fun that could be spent conjuring up what it might be called and what the plot might be…fey indie boy ignored by girl with cutesy hairgrips around Glasgow’s West End?

But God Help The Girl is not a musical of Belle and Sebastian songs. Rather, it’s a story set to music. Stuart Murdoch, the band’s mainman started writing songs whilst touring Dear Catastrophe Waitress and found that he was writing songs that he couldn’t envisage singing with the band…you can read all about it here. He is still writing the script but he has recruited most of the cast and recorded the soundtrack album.

So…the album will be out in June, and this track is available as a free download:

God Help The Girl -‘Come Monday Night.’ mp3

This is really gorgeous.

…and this is footage of Stuart talking about the record:

Please let me know what you think…