If You're Feeling Sinister

If You're Feeling Sinister
Studio album by Belle & Sebastian
Released	18 November 1996
Studio	CaVa Studios, Glasgow
Genre	Indie pop chamber pop indie folk
Length	41:17
Label	Jeepster, Matador (re-issue)
Producer	Tony Doogan
Belle & Sebastian chronology
Tigermilk (1996) If You're Feeling Sinister (1996) The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
Select	4/5[7]
Spin	8/10[8]
Sputnikmusic	5/5[9]
The Village Voice	A–[10]

If You're Feeling Sinister is the second album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released on the independent label Jeepster Records in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States. The album was released to much critical praise in 1996.

Band leader Stuart Murdoch has stated in interviews that this is probably his best collection of songs. In 2005, Belle & Sebastian released a live version of the album entitled If You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican on the iTunes Music Store.

Critical reception

If You're Feeling Sinister has received widespread critical acclaim. Pitchfork Media placed the album at number 14 in its top 100 albums of the 1990s.^[11] Later, the readers of Pitchfork named the album as the 31st greatest album since the website launched in 1996.^[12] Rolling Stone featured the album at number 75 on its list of "100 Best Albums of the Nineties,"^[13] while Spin included the record at number 59 on its "125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years" list.^[14] If You're Feeling Sinister also appears as an entry in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die as chosen by music critics.^[15]

In 2007, as part of the 33⅓ series, Scott Plagenhoef wrote a book about the album.

In February 2013, Pitchfork.tv released an hour-long documentary on the album directed by RJ Bentler. For the documentary, every member that was present on the album was interviewed and featured several archival photos and videos from the band's early days.^[16]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Stuart Murdoch. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Stars of Track and Field"	4:48
2.	"Seeing Other People"	3:48
3.	"Me and the Major"	3:51
4.	"Like Dylan in the Movies"	4:14
5.	"The Fox in the Snow"	4:11
6.	"Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying"	3:25
7.	"If You're Feeling Sinister"	5:21
8.	"Mayfly"	3:42
9.	"The Boy Done Wrong Again"	4:17
10.	"Judy and the Dream of Horses"	3:40
Total length:		41:17

Personnel

• Stuart Murdoch – vocals, guitar, piano
• Stuart David – bass
• Isobel Campbell – cello, vocals, percussion, recorder
• Chris Geddes – keyboards, piano
• Richard Colburn – drums
• Stevie Jackson – guitar, vocals, harmonica
• Sarah Martin – violin, recorder, percussion
• Mick Cooke – trumpet (1, 6, 10)

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "If You're Feeling Sinister – Belle and Sebastian". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
2. Kot, Greg (13 June 1997). "Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister (The Enclave)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
3. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
4. Romero, Michele (11 July 1997). "If You're Feeling Sinister". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
5. Vincentelli, Elisabeth (24 June 1997). "If You're Feeling Sinister". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
7. Wilkinson, Roy (January 1997). "Belle and Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister". Select (79).
8. Cox, Ana Marie (October 1997). "Belle and Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister". Spin 13 (7): 141. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
9. Kiran (26 December 2007). "Belle and Sebastian – If You're Feeling Sinister". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
10. Christgau, Robert (3 March 1998). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
11. "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork Media.
12. http://www.pitchfork.com/peopleslist/
13. "75: Belle and Sebastian, 'If You're Feeling Sinister'". Rolling Stone.
14. "59: 125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years". Spin.
15. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
16. Pitchfork (2013-02-18). "Pitchfork.tv Presents a Documentary Film on Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister". Pitchforkmedia.com. Retrieved 2013-02-19.