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Oooooh, okay, the Saint Etienne I know and love are back and this album is so hard to listen to at work, 'cause I just wanna leap outta my chair and start dancin' behind the front desk! It starts with the awesome "Action", a total throwback to their "Foxbase Alpha"-days, especially with the movie clip intro bit, and then the total early-90's-dance-groove! Oooh la la! And "Language Lab" is soo jazzy-cool with that flute bit sampled over and over, and the brisk-brushed percussion. It almost makes it a bit Stereolab-y for me. And "Stop And Think It Over" really highlights Sarah Cracknell's sophisticated-cool vocals in a total Carole King-inspired little ballad. Sooo lovely! And the title track is pure electro-pop bliss!
There are still some surprises though! "Soft Like Me" is a total radio-friendly hip-pop dance tune featuring special guest rapping from MC Wildflower, giving the song a very early-90's-Betty Boo-feel (if you know who that is...Andrew put a song of hers on a mix tape for me ages ago). It's a little cheesy, and I'll scream if it's ever used in some skin lotion commercial, but it's lighthearted and fun.
But really, this absolutely fab! A very welcome return from our beloved Saint Etienne! (janice.03.03)
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sound of water • sub pop records • 2000
More sophisticated, swing-y pop songs from Saint Etienne. This album is pretty much what you would expect, but oddly, it didn't grab me like "Good Humour" or "Foxbase Alpha" did. Nothing really inspired me to get up out of my chair and dance away. Although it does have some unique qualities: the band have enlisted both To Rococo Rot (a German techno guy I know nothing about) and the High Llama's Sean O'Hagan to help with arrangements, giving the songs both a stronger 60's Beach-Boys-quality and a stronger analog-synth sound. Many Saint Etienne fans have panned this album, and while I don't think it's deserving of negative remarks, I'll just conclude that it didn't make me want to dance. That says a lot, right? (janice.11.00)
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