Saint Etienne are such geeks. Music geeks that is. They began with the idea of having a different lead singer for every song. After several singers the idea wore thin and thankfully Sarah Cracknell was kept in the mix permanently. Then their concept was to be the soundtrack to the 90’s by releasing an album every year. They may have almost kept their word there, but were more consistent with some of the best commercial singles, at least in the UK, of the decade who shall not be named. There was talk of calling it quits during their last tour over five years ago, which really bummed me out. And now Saint Etienne are 20+ years young and back with a new album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne. It’s released on my birthday (mid-May, decline to divulge birth year) so now you know what to get me! Here’s more from the Saint Etienne press release for the forthcoming record:
Do you remember that special alchemy that transforms even the most mundane of experiences – walking home with the headphones on at night, sitting in the bedroom with your friends in the day, getting ready to go out on the weekend – into a lingering moment of seamless enchantment, one that resonates for the rest of your life?
Our new album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne is about that. About how music affects your life. How it defines the way you see the world as a child. How it can get you through bad times in unexpected ways. How songs you’ve known all your life can suddenly develop a new attachment and hurt everytime you hear them.
More than how it affects and reflects your life though, the album is about believing in music, living your life by its rules
Well damn. That sounds like someone went through my brain and came up with that short, powerful statement. But really, hasn’t that been a statement that encapsulates their career? I love its sentiment and agree wholeheartedly. So Saint Etienne are back, and hopefully better than some of their last few records which lacked the pixie dust quality of their 90’s work, especially So Tough and Good Humor. It is rumored that the album is either mixed and/or produced by the ubiquitous Richard X, who also recently reworked Saint Etienne’s first record and called it Fox Base Beta. Besides this unique idea to remix an entire album, Richard X’s only full length from 2003 (X Factor Volume 1) is one of my favorite records of the last ten years. So it’s sorted. Saint Etienne are back and their new single proves it. As the Et says themselves, “I can hardly wait!” Check out “Tonight” full length version and the video for the single version.
