Belle and Sebastian played at the DAR Constitution Hall on Thursday in support of their new album, Belle and Sebastian Write About Love. It’s great to see them touring and receiving rave reviews on what is now their eighth studio album. Playing a good mixture of tracks from the new album as well as reworked versions of classics, the Scottish group filled the hall with their unique flavor of indie pop.

One thing that strikes me about their stage presence is how completely comfortable they seem both with themselves and with the music. Stuart Murdoch, surprisingly aged 42, joked about how some of their original fans show up now with kids of their own. Perhaps coming with increasing age (14 years and counting, a lifetime for indie pop) is the impression that they don’t have to impress anyone. They dress and act modestly, a stark contrast from much of the music world today, both indie and mainstream. They seem like average people off of the street up there having fun, playing great music with rich instrumentation, and entertaining thousands.

Hearing many older songs made me realize that I haven’t given some of their albums a listen in far too long. “The Boy with the Arab Strap”, “Sukie in the Graveyard”, “Step into My Office, Baby“, and “Like Dylan in the Movies” were highlights for me going through their discography. Unfortunately they didn’t play one of my favorites, but for what they put on I’ll forgive them.