Album Review: Saint Etienne - Words And Music By Saint Etienne

Saint Etienne
Words And Music By Saint Etienne
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

When I was in college back in 1991, Saint Etienne's first album Foxbase Alpha came out and was one of the first records that combined electronic music with a more overtly pop/singer-songwriter angle, marrying everything from 60s girl groups, Neil Young, and Burt Bacharach to disco, house, and rave-influenced beats. I remember I was just coming out and exploring that along with a expanded love for music that can only come about in a college town like Athens, Georgia. This album was on constant repeat; I was in love with its encyclopedia-like breadth of musical influences. A guy I was seeing commented as I was driving him one day that he didn't understand the music I listened to, and told me that "once I grew up" I would listen to real music like he did. Funny now that I am still listening to new, exciting music, the urge and desire never going away, only increasing in intensity each year, and I cannot even remember that guy's name. That is the power of music for me, and it is obviously a passion for Saint Etienne as well. Words And Music By Saint Etienne is their 8th studio album, and over 20 years from their debut is a love-letter to music and the power it has. While the album may not be as musically groundbreaking as their earlier releases, or as consistent as their classic Tiger Bay, it is a well-crafted collection of frequently gorgeous pop songs.

Opening with "Over the Border," a remembrance of how, in a less computer dominated world, we lived for the radio, magazines, and shows like Top of the Pops to get our fill of music. How music was our travel, taking us to places we could only imagine.



"Tonight" chronicles the anticipation and giddy excitement of going to a concert: "This could be my life this could save my life/I can hardly wait/Maybe they'll open with an album track/Or a top five hit no turning back."



Lush disco house beats propel the bouncy "DJ," where the troubles and ups and downs of romance are forgotten with the spin of the next record.



"When I am alone with my thoughts/I feel love in digital stereo" is the meaning and refrain of "I've Got Your Music," as the swirling beats and synths take you into the private, personal world of the music listener.



While the album is mostly uptempo, there are plenty of slower ballads that showcase Sarah Cracknall's still-gorgeous voice. "I Threw It All Away" trades pumping beats for low-key drum patters, strings, and flutes. Cracknall's hushed whisper skirts the low-end of her range, as she reflects on how change makes her feel like she gave up on what she had. "Twenty-five Years" is a heartfelt reflection, looking back on all the mistakes made, and wanting to make things right. While album closer, the wistful "Haunted Jukebox," is a lilting, mid-tempo number about how music defines our past and can bring back memories in an instant.



Words And Music By Saint Etienne shows that Saint Etienne can still put out quality material, even 20+ years down the road. Sonically, there is not a lot of adventurousness here as was found on earlier albums like "So Tough," foregoing their former collage of sounds, but making way for a lush pop pulse. They have really tapped into what makes my fondness for music such a palpable thing. They understand that music is life for us, and that we would be pale souls if the opposite were true. While I am not sure Saint Etienne will be around in another 20 years, I am sure I will still be searching for those new sounds that they so often sung about.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.