This is a bit complicated, but try to stay with me. In 2004, Stuart Murdoch, leader of Belle & Sebastian, decided to launch a girl-group project with a bunch of songs that weren’t quite right for Belle & Sebastian. The next step was a newspaper ad and various rounds of auditions before finding the right singers. Between 2005 and 2009, the project, known as God Help the Girl, began to come together, with the singers backed by members of Belle & Sebastian. Finally the results were released as a few EPs and singles and a full-length in 2009. At the same time that the band was taking shape, Murdoch was writing a screenplay for a movie of the same name. The songs for the movie would be culled from the band’s repertoire. Now almost 10 years after the initial spark, the film God Help the Girl has arrived with songs remixed or re-recorded by Murdoch and cast members from the film.

It’s a lot to keep straight, but luckily the soundtrack to God Help the Girl (Milan Records) plays out much simpler than that. The movie and the soundtrack follow three young people—two ladies and a fellow—who come together to form a band after various life situations draw them to one another. The soundtrack is composed of their band’s songs, some of the film’s dialogue, and snatches of the film’s score, all of which combine to form a snapshot of the movie’s narrative. Every character gets an introduction and some subsequent lines so in a sense you are following them through the playing of the record. It’s not a new idea, but it’s exceptionally effective here, as Murdoch created and sequenced this as a piece of work that can stand on its own.

But while it’s one thing to marvel at form and function, at the end of the day, it all comes down to content. Thankfully, God Help the Girl succeeds on that level too. Many of the songs harken back to the twee aesthetic of Belle & Sebastian’s earliest records, however with a heavy dose of ‘60s girl-group sonics and classic Burt Bacharach crossed with Julie London–eque pop styling. But the album is not self-consciously retro or purposefully a throwback. It seems more the natural result of what happens when you graft Belle & Sebastian to the girl-group idea. Included is what’s likely one of the fictional trio’s early experiments, “I’m Not Rich.” It’s charmingly awkward and very much in character of what would likely happen during a band’s initial “getting to know each other” phase. It doesn’t quite fit in musically with the rest of the album, but it’s an important part of the story.

What’s best about God Help the Girl is that it’s unapologetically pop in a way that’s slightly fallen out of favor. It’s orchestral in a way that’s not fussy, and it’s wistful in a manner that’s not cringe-inducing. Equally important is that you believe the performances, which is crucial to this type of record. There’s a lack of virtuosity that doesn’t take you out of the world of the story. It feels honest. In all its iterations, God Help the Girl was worth the wait.