Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant

While promoting their third studio album The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998), Belle and Sebastian made their TV debut on 20 November 1999, appearing on Apocalypse Tube. Shortly afterwards, on New Year's Day 2000, they previewed songs that were set to appear on their next album.Thompson 2000, p. 185

Stuart Murdoch recalled that this album felt more difficult to make than prior albums. Musically the songs were more complex and "demanded a pop precision that you just couldn’t skirt around" requiring the group to practice and refine things more than they had traditionally.{{cite web|last1=Murdoch|first1=Stuart|title=Sleevenotes - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant|url=http://www.belleandsebastian.com/diary/fyh|website=Belle & Sebastian|date=19 May 2016}}

The band introduced many stylistic changes on this album, such as an organic strings section and more songs with lead vocals by other members of the band; Sarah Martin sings on "Waiting for the Moon to Rise", Isobel Campbell sings on "Family Tree", and performs duets with Stevie Jackson on "Beyond the Sunrise" and Stuart Murdoch on "Women's Realm". Jackson also sings lead vocal on "The Wrong Girl" and duets with Murdoch on "The Model" and "Don't Leave the Light On Baby". It is the last Belle & Sebastian album to feature bass player Stuart David, who departed the band after the album's completion.

The twin sisters pictured on the cover are Icelandic musicians Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, both from the band Múm.

Within the album's photography collection are pictures of two books, Beyond the Sunrise and I Fought in a War. Both books are titles of songs on the album, but the books are fictional creations of Murdoch's. Due to the band's interest in literature, fans have tried to locate the books that they believed had "inspired" the songs. Belle & Sebastian have informed fans about the fictive nature of the books on the "Questions and Answers" section of their website.{{Cite web |url=http://www.belleandsebastian.com/qa |title=Belle & Sebastian: Q & A |access-date=25 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126071109/http://www.belleandsebastian.com/qa |archive-date=26 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}

The album's title comes from a piece of graffiti on a public toilet wall Stuart Murdoch had seen years earlier and remembered.{{cite web |url=http://m.vh1.com/news/article.rbml?id=1425663&artist=1241888 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205163350/http://m.vh1.com/news/article.rbml?id=1425663&artist=1241888 |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2013 |title=Belle And Sebastian Talks "Hands" LP |work=VH1 news |publisher=Viacom Media Networks |date=30 May 2000 }}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 68/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant/belle-and-sebastian |title=Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant by Belle and Sebastian Reviews and Tracks |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=21 September 2021}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant-mw0000608909 |title=Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant – Belle and Sebastian |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Ankeny |first=Jason}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = B{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2000/06/09/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-peasant/ |title=Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=9 June 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Brunner |first=Rob}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,3605,327034,00.html |title=Mind your own business |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 June 2000 |access-date=21 September 2021 |last=Costa |first=Maddy}}

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-18-ca-42051-story.html |title=Belle & Sebastian 'Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant' Jeepster/Matador |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=18 June 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Hochman |first=Steve |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426032226/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jun/18/entertainment/ca-42051 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |url-status=live}}

| rev5 = Melody Maker

| rev5score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}Collins 2000, p. 54

| rev6 = NME

| rev6score = 8/10{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/20000531060042.html |title=Belle & Sebastian – Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant |magazine=NME |date=31 May 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Long |first=April |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000619115143/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/20000531060042.html |archive-date=19 June 2000 |url-status=dead}}

| rev7 = Pitchfork

| rev7score = 6.7/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/631-fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant/ |title=Belle and Sebastian: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant |website=Pitchfork |date=31 May 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Mirov |first=Nick}}

| rev8 = Rolling Stone

| rev8score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant-248495/ |title=Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=22 June 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Chonin |first=Neva |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305080843/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant-248495/ |archive-date=5 March 2021 |url-status=live}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9score = 8/10Greenwald 2000, p. 158

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10score = {{Rating|3|5}}Segal 2000, p. 90

}}

The album was released to generally favourable reviews. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant debuted at No. 80 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 113,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/69707/update-belle-sebastians-new-catastrophe|title = Update: Belle & Sebastian's New 'Catastrophe'|magazine = Billboard}}

{{Track listing

|headline=Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant track listing

|total_length=40:40

|title1=I Fought in a War

|length1=4:10

|title2=The Model

|length2=3:56

|title3=Beyond the Sunrise

|length3=4:06

|title4=Waiting for the Moon to Rise

|length4=3:13

|title5=Don't Leave the Light on Baby

|length5=4:28

|title6=The Wrong Girl

|length6=3:20

|title7=The Chalet Lines

|length7=2:33

|title8=Nice Day for a Sulk

|length8=2:30

|title9=Women's Realm

|length9=4:34

|title10=Family Tree

|length10=4:04

|title11=There's Too Much Love

|length11=3:28

}}

Citations

{{Reflist}}

Sources

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite magazine |url=http://jeepster.co.uk/press/belle-and-sebastian/melody-maker-fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant-4/ |title=One Step Forward, Two Steps Back |magazine=Melody Maker |date=24–30 May 2000 |access-date=26 June 2019 |last=Collins |first=Robert}}
• {{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AlN-17xfY88C&pg=PA160 |title=Belle and Sebastian: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant |magazine=Spin |volume=16 |issue=7 |date=July 2000 |access-date=12 April 2016 |last=Greenwald |first=Andy |author-link=Andy Greenwald}}
• {{cite magazine |url=http://jeepster.co.uk/press/belle-and-sebastian/uncut-fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant/ |title=Kilt status |magazine=Uncut |issue=38 |date=July 2000 |access-date=21 September 2021 |last=Segal |first=Victoria}}
• {{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Thompson (author)|title=Alternative Rock|series=Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion|year=2000|publisher=Miller Freeman Books|location=San Francisco, California|isbn=0-87930-607-6}}

{{refend}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB875NdHRlOGxRVMIXHOoRa2ZqV2AQ2RQ Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant] at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
• [http://www.belleandsebastian.com/recordings/fold-your-hands-child-you-walk-like-a-peasant Album information on belleandsebastian.com] (official site) – lyrics, sleeve notes.

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Category:2000 albums

Category:Belle and Sebastian albums

Category:Jeepster Records albums