Words and Music by Saint Etienne

Saint Etienne - Words and Music by Saint Etienne
released 21 May 2012 on Commercial Marketing



A recent YouGov study has found that the most popular way for the public to discover new music is through the radio, that the place that people are most likely to look for album reviews is in a newspaper, and that going out and buying an album is still more popular than listening to a free stream. Despite living in the digital age, it appears the influx of technology hasn’t overtaken us just yet and, perhaps, many of us are simply traditionalists at heart.


In some ways, it’s easy to see why. For example, watching an iTunes progress bar inch its way to completion can never replicate the anticipation of waiting for a trip to the local store and cherishing your wares on the bus home, eager to hear the treasure within. Saint Etienne understand this love affair people have with music and over the course of the past two decades, have shown themselves to be fans and scholars of pop, as well as a fantastic group.


But nowhere has this infatuation with music been better captured than on Words and Music’s opening track, Over The Border. Sarah Cracknell whispers the story of the children from her school that made a pilgrimage to Peter Gabriel’s house, before recalling how comforting music was to her in her formative years, as well as giving her a sense of belonging. The young Cracknell “used Top Of The Pops as [her] world atlas” and, upon finding herself in a teenage relationship, “knew he loved [her] because he made [her] a tape”. The reference points (Dexys Midnight Runners, Postcard Records, synthesisers) may not be common to everyone, but the song conjures such an evocative Proustian rush, you’ll find yourself subconsciously replacing Cracknell’s personal favourites with your own.


At this point, it becomes apparent that Words And Music is effectively Saint Etienne’s love letter to pop. Whereas most music about music consists of club-friendly dance tracks imploring a DJ to either turn up or not stop the music, Saint Etienne look to explore the sheer joy – both individual and collective – that music can bring to our lives. True, the album does feature a track called DJ, but it’s more about the restorative powers of dancing your troubles away than anything else. The only song in recent memory to transmit the intoxicating power of losing yourself to music as well as those on Words And Music is Katy B’s Lights On – these songs are about as far removed from the predatory, meat-market feel of Pitbull’s aggressive club tracks as it’s possible to be.


The wonderful thing about Saint Etienne singing of their love for unselfconscious ‘surrender to sound’ is that they’ve got the songs to back it up. Recent single, I’ve Got Your Music, has a huge chorus and tells us, “I feel love in digital stereo” (a nod to the Donna Summer classic, maybe). Last Days Of Disco bears the definite influence of, yes, disco, and comes across like a more dance-oriented latter-day Belle & Sebastian. Haunted Jukebox is a jaunty, airy number, which describes a blossoming teenage romance built upon a mutual love of records.


Musically, Words And Music is in the territory of Saint Etienne’s most popular singles, as well as recalling Pet Shop Boys and early 21st Century Kylie Minogue. There are always bound to be huge, poppers o’ clock efforts with Saint Etienne, and former single, Tonight, is the best of the bunch. The song beautifully describes the nerves and tension associated with getting ready to go to a gig (“Play the album, then play it all again, I can hardly wait”), talk of pre-show rumours, wondering about the set-list (“Maybe they’ll open with an album track / Or a Top 5 hit – no turning back”) and the euphoric release when it all comes together. Despite being part of a heaving, sweaty throng of bodies, an undefinable, personal relationship between fan and band always remains (“There’s a part of me / Only they can see”).


Everything that’s been written so far describes an album which is just about perfect but, unfortunately, there are lulls in Words And Music’s thirteen tracks. Several songs lack the spark of their counterparts, and end up being inferior versions of what’s already been covered elsewhere on the record. Occasionally, the feel is somewhat pedestrian and, although a pick-me-up is never far away, it’s certainly an album of peaks and troughs. Saint Etienne’s debut release, Foxbase Alpha, introduced a group full of wit and invention, willing to mix dance and house with trip-hop, heavy beats, and speech samples from television and film. Words And Music doesn’t do that. When it gets it right, it gets it absolutely spot on, but a little more variation wouldn’t go amiss.


However, the album’s highlights – and there are many – are just so fantastic that you can forgive it an awful lot. The method in which you purchase, listen to and digest this record are completely your choice, but if you’ve ever truly loved a band like they were your own and invested time and money in their words and music, you’ll find plenty to make you happy in Words And Music.

The Singles Bar: 12/03/12

News reaches us here that, in the UK, Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye has become the first track to shift 500,000 copies in the year of 2012. If that doesn’t hasten the need for new, fresh, exciting music to descend on the singles charts, I don’t know what does. Luckily, there are a smorgasbord of tracks ready for you below, so pull up a chair and tuck in.

M.I.A. – Bad Girls

It’s difficult for M.I.A. She’s on the verge of mainstream success but to achieve it, she risks losing what made her distinctive in the first place. In fact, I’m about to stake claim to the headline, “How do you solve a problem like M.I.A.?” so you need to talk to me first if you want to write that article. You get the feeling there will be mis-steps along the way but on Bad Girls, M.I.A. judges things perfectly. She manages to combine catchy rhymes with a commercial sensibility, hip-hop beats and the kind of Middle Eastern hook that 99% of pop stars wouldn’t go near. It’s done with aplomb, and while it lacks the punch of some of her earlier work, it could well be the catalyst to full crossover commercial success. 8/10

Alexandra  Burke – Elephant feat. Erick Morillo

As far as I can tell, Alexandra Burke won X Factor due to her ballad-friendly voice but, cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah aside, she’s concentrated primarily on club-friendly R&B instead since that victory. That powerful voice which caused so many to pick up the phone back in 2008 has been stripped of all semblance of character and auto-tuned to death on Elephant, with the consequence that this track could be by pretty much anyone. It’s yet more chart-friendly faceless Ibiza-influenced pop and, even for that most unlovable of genres, this is a poor and forgettable effort. Also, while this elephant in question may be the “elephant in the room” of a failing relationship, we’ve certainly learned that ‘elephant’ is not a word that goes particularly well with huge dance anthems. 1/10


Katzenjammer – I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)

As well as being the surname of Tamsin Greig’s brilliant Fran in Black Books, ‘katzenjammer’ is also German for ‘hangover’. See, you like this band already, don’t you? IWD(WIWA) is a chirpy piece of indiepop full of glockenspiel and melodica, that also has a slightly traditional Irish folk dance feel to it. There are some great singalong vocals though, and a sense that you’ve stumbled across an exquisitely hewn pop gem that’s going to get stuck in your head for a good few days. It’s also absolutely perfect for radio, which makes you wonder why it’s not completely unavoidable and why Katzenjammer aren’t the must-see band of the festival season. Listen to IWD(WIWA) and you’ll smile, you’ll dance, you’ll play it again as soon as it’s finished, and you’ll really feel that summer is just around the corner. 9/10

Michael Kiwanuka – I’m Getting Ready

The retro-soul sound of singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has already won him the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll, as well as plenty of plaudits elsewhere. He almost seems like a man from another era, and in an age of bountiful musical excitement, it seems a little sad that a hotly-tipped artist has to look backwards in time so obviously for inspiration. That said, Kiwanuka’s velvety croon is simply gorgeous, and the backing vocals in I’m Getting Ready complement his tones perfectly. It’s an immersive track, with the feel and structure of an old gospel song. It’s so easy and free, that’s it’s a lovely experience just to let the soothing sounds wash over you. Of course, it would be nice if the sound of today didn’t sound so indebted to the past but when a song’s this good, it’s hard to care too much. 8/10

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Niggas In Paris

It seems odd that a collaboration between arguably the two biggest stars in rap hasn’t set the world alight. Sure, there’s been plenty of attention on Watch The Throne, but nothing like you’d expect from the combined pulling power of Jay and Kanye. On Niggas In Paris, the two seem so wrapped up in their own rhymes and style, they’ve neglected to give too much attention to what’s going on outside of the vocals. This is ill-advised because, while no-one can deny they’re mega-stars, Jay-Z and Kanye West aren’t huge purely for their technical ability. In fact, on this tired effort, Kanye’s annoying drawling is turned up to eleven and there’s not much to latch onto. Really, it’s just the sound of a pair of gazillionaires boasting about how great they are – why wouldn’t you like it? 5/10

Rufus Wainwright – Out Of The Game

The lesser-talented Wainwright sibling (opinion: reviewer’s own) returns with a typically understated effort… or not. Of course, Wainwright’s voice is like incredibly rich food; wonderful to begin with but utterly insufferable if you’ve had too much. ‘Too much’ in this case relates to around 90 seconds or so, and the female backing vocals are just as overpowering. In fairness, Rufus has turned down the melodrama on this Out Of The Game – there’s not a symphony orchestra in sight – and it’s a fairly straightforward, guitar-led track. Yes, there’s the odd flourish and an attempt at a big climax (this is Rufus Wainwright after all) but this could be an appropriate entry point for any Rufus non-believers. Overall, it’s not too much to get excited about, whether you’re a fan or not. 4/10

Tango In The Attic – Paw Prints

The new single by Scots Tango In The Attic starts with a statement of intent: huge drums and intense riffing (which sounds awesome on headphones, by the way) that just seem to build and build. By the time the first section is over, we’ve got swirly, shoegazey guitars and unusual time signatures for company too. It’s a full two minutes before the bass comes in though, and Paw Prints is really missing it until its arrival. Blasts of visceral noise and an intricate structure elevate this above the average and push it in the direction of math-rock, but it can come across as an attempt to mask a lack of quality in the songwriting itself. That said, Paw Prints is certainly worth a listen and will blow the cobwebs away any day of the week. 6/10

Paul Weller – That Dangerous Age

Despite having spent the last decade or more releasing poor facsimiles of former glories, Paul Weller continues to be feted by an ever-fawning music press. Perhaps he’s especially nice to journalists, I don’t know. Anyway, Weller usually seems to be oblivious to the passage of time (and not just in his attitudes to haircuts) but on That Dangerous Age, he addresses his advancing years directly. Much of his latter-day work has been stodgy and bereft of inspiration, but here, there are handclaps, cowbells and a fuzzy bassline you could have a stab at busting a groove to. A welcome change in musical outlook from the man we’re contractually obliged to refer to as The Modfather, yet still anything but a classic. That said, not bad for a man on the verge of releasing his eleventh solo studio record. 6/10

Saint Etienne – Tonight

It’s unlikely I’ll ever be a member of royalty but if the unthinkable does happen, one of my first acts will be to award the members of Saint Etienne a collective knighthood. For over twenty years they’ve provided the world with dance music with substance, marvellously bonkers cut and paste albums and a general sense of musical joie de vivre. Tonight harks back to the classic three-minute instant pop of their 90s singles and is impossible to not get caught up in. Gloriously, it’s actually about going to a gig, getting caught up in the anticipation and then the “surrender to the sound” that comes with the best music. A little meta, perhaps, but a hook-filled wonder that never outstays its welcome and leaves you wanting more. Exceptional. 9/10 – SINGLE OF THE WEEK

Future Of The Left – Sheena Is A T-Shirt Salesman

We don’t have ‘Song Title of the Week’ here at The Singles Bar but if we did, this would win by some distance. Either way, it’s nice that Sheena is making a living and her days of punk rockerdom didn’t leave her entirely employable. SIATS is a breakneck thrash ride that races along without leaving room for you to breathe. There’s a hint of a band who are far too pleased with themselves though, and really, attention-grabbing titles aside, this is in no way enjoyable to listen to. Living under a (mainly) Conservative government, I can’t help but hope the future of the left is a whole lot brighter than this. 2/10