♫ Belle & Sebastian | B

"Make me dance/I want to surrender/Your familiar arms I remember," Sarah Martin sings on the breezy opening track of Belle & Sebastian's new album,Write About Love. There could not be a more fitting introduction to the beloved indie-rock band's return after their four-year hiatus. These words undoubtedly echo the longing wish of a devoted fan-base for the return of their pop heroes. Fortunately, Write About Love has been worth the wait. Belle & Sebastian's seventh studio album showcases a matured transition for the group, full of brilliant pop melodies, intricate arrangements and poetic storytelling lyrics.

"I Didn't See It Coming" is the first of many songs on the album to feature alternating lead vocalists. Stuart Murdoch, Belle & Sebastian's chief singer and songwriter, joins in with Martin, harmonizing and alternating lines with her to create a fuller sound. The song, with its upbeat melody and catchy guitar hooks, channels a late-'60s/early-'70s pop vibe, a theme that lingers throughout Write About Love.

On the title-track, actress Carey Mulligan provides guest vocals, playing the part of a daydreamer who hates her job and goes to the roof to "Write about a man/He's intellectual and he's hot/But he understands." Quieter moments, such as "The Ghost of Rockschool" further exemplifies Murdoch's strength in crafting stories through his lyrics, as well as his growing candidness about his fascination with faith.

"I'm Not Living in the Real World" takes the homage to the '60s to an over-the-top extreme, but aside from that and a poor choice of duet with Norah Jones in "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John," the album provides consistently bright, well-crafted songs. Belle & Sebastian have never sounded more unified, and with Write About Love, they've made an overall solid return.