''Push Barman to Open Old Wounds'' is a 2005 two-disc/triple-LP compilation released by

Belle and Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" come ...

Blender Magazine ''Blender'' was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities. It compiled lists of albums, artists, and songs, including both "best of" an ...

described the collection as "25 charming tales of shy girls dabbling in photography and bookish boys dabbling in shy girls."

Content

The compilation contains the singles and EPs they released for Jeepster Records: * '' Dog on Wheels'' (1997) * '' Lazy Line Painter Jane'' (1997) * '' 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light'' (1997) * '' This Is Just a Modern Rock Song'' (1998) * "

Legal Man "Legal Man" is the debut single of Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. The track features Isobel Campbell, Sarah Martin, and Rozanne Suarez (credited as the Maisonettes) on vocals and Snow Patrol drummer Jonny Quinn on congas. The cove ...

" (2000) * "

Jonathan David Jonathan Christian David (born January 14, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Lille. Born in the United States to Haitian parents, David was raised in Ottawa, Ontario, and represents the Ca ...

" (2001) * "

I'm Waking Up to Us "I'm Waking Up to Us" is a song by Belle & Sebastian, released as a single and extended play (EP) through Jeepster Records in November 2001. The track saw the band work with another producer besides usual collaborator Tony Doogan for the first t ...

" (2001) The track listing features every song on the aforementioned EPs, listed in chronological order.

Critical reception

''Push Barman to Open Old Wounds'' received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...

score of 89, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". Scott Plagenhoef of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' gave the album a very favorable review, stating, "The most beloved indie pop band since

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

, Belle and Sebastian are also probably the best. This collection would work like their own ''

Hatful of Hollow ''Hatful of Hollow'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 12 November 1984 by Rough Trade Records. The album features BBC Radio 1 studio recordings and two contemporary singles with their B-sides. It was eventual ...

'' and ''

Louder Than Bombs ''Louder Than Bombs'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. It peaked at number 62 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Popular dem ...

'' were the first half not sadly missing their early BBC Sessions, and the second forced to omit their '' Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' singles and Peel Session tracks. As it stands, the first is a testament to the power and pull of one of the most singular and instantly lovable pop bands of our time; the second is a gentle suggestion that they took the correct post-mainstream fame steps after all, avoiding self-parody (see:

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

) and finding a way to be playful without becoming too precious (see:

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

in his post-

Felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

years). In combination, it's a perfect way into the world of Belle and Sebastian, even if the band spends the second half of the disc trying to redecorate that space."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Belle and Sebastian compilation albums B-side compilation albums 2005 compilation albums Jeepster Records compilation albums