When Belle & Sebastian frontman and primary songwriter Stuart Murdoch announced that he was launching an online search for singers to record the soundtrack for a musical film, naturally, fans were intrigued. Despite newcomers Catherine Ireton, Alex Klobouk and Celia Garcia taking the reins vocally, and doing an inspiring job of it too, this is the same sweetly arranged twee pop that Belle & Sebastian have always delivered.

That said, God Help The Girl lacks the bouyant, ridiculous numbers that make B&S charming. While this album succeeds in improving The Life Pursuit's 'Act of The Apostle' and 'Funny Little Frog' by making them more jazzy and sophisticated, on the whole the songs here can begin to sound a little uniform, proceeding mostly at the same mid range pace, driven by guitar, piano and strings. The downcast opening and morose tone of 'I Just Want Your Jeans' make it a sure highlight, if only for its individuality among a selection of otherwise similar songs.

If one thing is certain, it's that this really is a musical soundtrack. The story is chartable, with commonplace details popping up throughout the lyrics. The whole thing feels a little retro, and the classic styling of the songs suits the genre perfectly, even if it means there's little new here. 'Perfection As A Hipster' is defined less by a guest appearance from Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon that by its classic 'Ronettes' opening beat and ABBA-esque backing vocals.

There really isn't an unpleasant moment among the fourteen tracks of God Help The Girl, but that's because it plays it just a little safe.