Music: Belle & Sebastian: Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Stuart Murdoch evidently had two forces pulling at him when he wrote Dear Catastrophe Waitress. The Belle & Sebastian mastermind, best known for his world-weary outlook, was involved in a tug-of-war between brilliantly slick pop tunes about heartbreak and less-brilliant, silly ditties full of pop-culture references and sha-la-la back-up vocals. Dear Catastrophe Waitress, the fifth B&S album, represents a huge victory for the better angels of Murdoch's nature, and happens to be some of the best music of the last few years.

The album begins with a triptych of foot-tapping love songs whose happy vibes betray the fact that they vary in mood from lustful to consoling to indifferent. The opening track and first single, "Step into My Office, Baby," uses complex vocal harmonies, woodwinds and some of the least subtle double entendres since AC/DC's "Big Balls" to paint a hilarious picture of a man's desire to sleep with his boss.

The album's title track deals with violence and ostracism in such a happy way that it is almost a lock to be used in a Zima commercial before the year is out. A full orchestra backs up the Glasgow septet, and the song has the feel of a happily sardonic Andrew Lloyd Weber singalong.

"If She Wants Me" impressively rounds out Dear Catastrophe Waitress' opening segment. Murdoch sings about a platonic female friend whom he likes, as they say in middle school, "like in a more than a friend way." The chimey guitars and backing vocals combine with Murdoch's high, clear voice to sound like the Beach Boys on their best day.

Even when Murdoch's intelligent and heartbroken power-pop gives way to silliness, it's still worth a listen. "Piazza, New York Catcher" is a surprisingly baseball-literate ode to Mike Piazza, Mets slugger and Pert Plus spokesman. While the song sounds somewhere between "Lady Madonna" and a creepily threatening letter from a baseball (or shampoo) fan, it shows how Belle & Sebastian can wrap their capable music around even the most ill-advised lyrics. Asking a question that perhaps only Jason Giambi can answer, Murdoch croons, "Piazza, New York catcher are you straight or are you gay?" As dumb (and potentially libelous) as this is, all of Dear Catastrophe Waitress' listeners will likely sing along.

Murdoch, on "If She Wants Me," repeatedly sings "If I could do one near-perfect thing I'd be happy." After releasing this album, he should be very happy indeed.