SAINT ETIENNE - Sound Of Water
Saint Etienne are in the midst of an astounding burst of creative energy. In 1988, they released the excellent GOOD HUMOR, which contained a second cd FAIRFAX HIGH, when initially released in the U.S. 1999 saw the release (in Japan only) of their gorgeous soundtrack to an as-yet-unreleased film, "The Misadventures Of Margaret". The moody, atmospheric sounds of that soundtrack carry over to SOUND OF WATER, their fourth full length release in two years, and the strongest one of all. Only those hoping for a return to the dance-pop of TIGER BAY will be disappointed. SOUND OF WATER is leisurely and impressionistic, yet jammed with complex arrangements that create unique settings for each cut. As melody writers, Saint Etienne have few peers: 'Downey California' could be a classic Steely Dan ballad, while 'Sycamore', with its stately melody set amid finger-picked guitar, flute, and harpischord, eventually makes the transition from a 4/4 beat to a 3/3 waltz. The nine minute suite 'How We Used To Live' spins out one beautiful melody after another as it moves from one section to the next. Its amazing arrangement develops gracefully from a piano based introduction to a muted string interlude to a calliope-like theme that evokes a seaside resort, through its electro-pop midsection, and finally ends in a jazz-inflected coda. It's a transcendent piece, unlike anything else you'll hear this year.
BRIAN O'CONNOR (9)
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On 1998's GOOD HUMOR, this British trio fully transformed itself from the thinking man's dance band to a soulful pop band performing intermittently danceable stuff. It apparently was a daunting task following up such a fine album, as the band seems caught between its desire to create catchy tunes and its need to explore different textures. Perhaps inspired by the sounds of trip-hop and drum-and-bass, many of the songs are lengthy and low key. While their patented ability to take classic blue-eyed soul motifs and mold them into something wholly contemporary is still intact, the drawn out, ambient arrangements tend to dull the impact of some of the songs. Thankfully, some numbers sound like they would have fit perfectly on GOOD HUMOR, showcasing the wonderful vocals of Sarah Cracknell. She's a singer out of the Diana Ross school, her honeyed tones capturing the essence of any song sent her way. On numbers like the gauzy 'Sycamore', the Bacharach-inspired 'Just A Little Overcome' and the pulsing 'Heart Failed'(In The Back Of A Taxi, Saint Etienne is at its finest, with warm synthesizers and keyboards providing the foundation for Cracknell's charm. But the three instrumentals are bland, other songs lack strong hooks and don't have sufficient atmospheric soundscapes to compensate. Saint Etienne shouldn't be faulted for experimenting, and maybe their attempts here will blossom on later efforts.
MIKE BENNETT (5)
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After their recent experiments with acoustic instruments and the "full band" sound of the wonderful GOOD HUMOR/FAIRFAX HIGH and MISADVENTURES OF SAINT ETIENNE albums, Saint Etienne have taken a half-step back and partially returned to their sparse, synth-driven approach to pop music. Like its predecessors, SOUND OF WATER owes much to the AM radio/light rock sound of the 60's and 70's. But here they may have at last found the perfect low-key synthesis (if you'll pardon the pun) of their influences and styles. The surprising first single 'How We Used To Live' is an epic patchwork that manages (in just over 8 minutes) to touch on all the musical genres of which Sarah Cracknell and company are so fond. 'Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi)',the second single, is an excellent update of the stripped-down electronic dance grooves of their earliest singles (Vince Clarke might want to check the copyright credits on this one). If someone had locked a young Burt Bacharach in a closet with a Casiotone keyboard, the result might have been the wistful 'Downey, CA'. Throughout the album, all of Saint Etienne's usual elements are in place: the interesting sonic interludes, the instrumentals with accompanying "la la la's", and lyrics with just the right amount of dippiness to fit the mood. SOUND OF WATER is definitely Saint Etienne's most mellow album to date, but it also just might be their best.
JUDE HAYDEN (8)
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This is the band's fourth full-length release in as many years ( the fifth if you count LIPSLIDE, lead vocalist Sarah Cracknell's solo debut). Coming after an extended period of inactivity that saw the release in the UK of a singles compilation titled TOO YOUNG TO DIE, evidently meant to mourn their passing, it's especially surprising. Following on the heels of the band's first top ten hit in the UK for their collaboration with noted German DJ Paul Van Dyk ('Tell Me Why (The Riddle)', it's clear that reports of Saint Etienne's death were greatly exaggerated. Each of their most recent four albums has explored different sounds, beginning with the sunny, '60's - inflected pop of GOOD HUMOR, and continuing through the more sophisticated, Continental-style music of THE MISADVENTURES OF SAINT ETIENNE, which recalled the more eclectic, experimental, atmospheric tracks from their SO TOUGH days. Last year also saw the release of a full length fan-club only CD called BUILT ON SAND that featured a dizzying variety of tracks ranging from a Matthew Sweet cover ('Are We Gonna Be Alright?') - complete with guitars and a Hammond organ - to a bleepy collaboration with the German electronic band To Rococo Rot ('Blofeld Buildings'). SOUND OF WATER finds Sarah, Bob and Pete working once again with engineer and keyboard wizard Gerard Johnson, continuing to write with To Rococo Rot, and collaborating with the Brian Wilson-obsessed Sean O'Hagan from the High Llamas. This time out, however, they've stayed away from the cheeky handbag house that occasionally popped up on earlier releases (like 'He's On The Phone', or 'Sylvie'). Sadly, they've also included few of the pop gems that have made their albums so consistently enjoyable. There are a few excellent songs like 'Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi'), 'Sycamore', and 'How We Used To Live', a couple of decent ones 'Downey, CA' and 'Aspects Of Lambert' and lots of song fragments that sound like partially developed ideas that could have used some additional work. The former college radio DJ in me wants to applaud their refusal to make the same record over and over again (Oasis or Paul Weller, anyone?), but the Saint Etienne fan in me wishes they'd just stick to what they do best - writing catchy pop songs with choruses that I can't get out of my head without a backhoe. Standout tracks include 'Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi)' and 'How We Used To Live'.
DAVE HOFFMAN (6)
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