Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister (33 1/3)

At the time of its release in 1996, If You're Feeling Sinister was a romantic and defiantly independent artifact - a fully formed, pristine seashell of an album quietly washed ashore, waiting to be discovered by anyone who cared to look. Here, Scott Plagenhoef lovingly investigates the record's creation and influence. He tells the story of the unusual band that created it and conjures up a time, at the dawn of the Internet era, when it was still possible for perfect pop music to retain a veneer of genuine mystery.