Saint Etienne
Words And Music by Saint Etienne

Enough of the nonsense, no more criticisms, no more jabs, let's get back to the beautiful things, let's start again with Saint Etienne, with an album I had a complex relationship with, starting with some distrust and skepticism, then evolving into a beautiful idyll, a sincere and enthusiastic love; "Words And Music by Saint Etienne," the eighth album by the trio led by Sarah Cracknell, which after seven long years inherits the heavy legacy of "Tales From Turnpike House," a work of immense creativity, charm, and a very high level. TFTH is the album that made me discover and love Saint Etienne, I adore it viscerally, its shadow certainly had a certain weight in my evaluation of this work. "Words And Music" is very different, different in style and objectives, even less ambitious from a certain point of view but no less worthy for that. Here, we find a more electronic Saint Etienne, the orchestral and folk components that made TFTH great are heavily downsized, and one must "settle" for an album that unravels precious lessons of style and quality in the dance and electropop field. Great, indeed, very great, because the genre desperately needs it. Saint Etienne is an institution, and you can feel it, gosh, can you feel it! For me, "Words And Music" is a canon, it is an archetype, to produce this particular type of sound (call it nu disco, wonky pop, or whatever you prefer), or more generally a quality danceable electro-pop, this is a reference to keep in mind.

Initially, I had some difficulty orienting myself in "Words And Music," well-crafted songs, catchy rhythms, an impeccable Sarah Cracknell as usual, with a slightly aged voice, sounding deeper and even more sensual, yet the album seemed overall a bit flat to me, lacking those sometimes very scenic and evocative refinements typical of its imposing predecessor, without clear reference points. Yet "Words And Music" is perfect as it is, for what it is and aims to be, this is THE perfection; Saint Etienne challenges Kylie Minogue and Sophie Ellis-Bextor on their own hunting ground, outclassing them with unmatched class and savoir-faire. A lesson in style, approach, charisma, everything, this is an album that truly pulsates, capturing the purest essence of what dance-pop should be: that happy smile, the sweet and pleasant taste of strawberry-flavored beer, the sensation of being able to touch the stars with a finger. Things like that, in short, you ask, and Saint Etienne provides, with generosity, with enthusiasm, never holding back; "enjoy yourself with no regrets," this is the spirit.

And yet, the beginning seems to suggest something different, "Over The Border" is for Saint Etienne what "Atlantis" was for Donovan, the structure is the same: a monologue by Sarah Cracknell, telling us about her childhood, her adolescence, dreams, fantasies, passions, and hopes, and then a chorus with great impact. A vision that has the epic and triumphant taste of a realized dream, and maybe even a hint of melancholy, and then they're off, Sarah, Bob, and Pete don't give a moment's respite: "I've Got You Music", "Heading For The Fair", "Tonight", "Popular", "DJ", "When I Was Seventeen", without unnecessary intellectual complications, just class, good taste and a charge of energy, grit, and enthusiasm that's nothing short of overwhelming. Incredible how such music, made for the body, can soothe, tone, and also be good for the spirit, at least my spirit; is this how it felt back in the Disco days, of THOSE Bee Gees, the first Grace Jones, Gloria Gaynor, the various incarnations of Giorgio Moroder, the Frisco Sound, of "Sons of the Stars"? I am not sure, but I think so, the form might be different, but there is an evident spiritual continuity.

And then, as it should be, the intensity occasionally drops, slipping into more languid atmospheres, which exalt a super sexy and intriguing Sarah Cracknell; "Last Days Of Disco", with an exhilarating bridge, "Answer Song", the soul-folk reminiscences of "Twenty Five Years", bringing us closer to the more sophisticated and elegant side of the trio, and then "I Threw It All Away", or the night coming to its natural conclusion, in the lights of a slightly blurred, slightly hazy dawn after the revels that preceded it; the dreamy and almost mystical sound of a flute, background orchestrations, a soft, exotic, almost unreal atmosphere. After taking us from pleasure to pleasure, from rhythm to rhythm, after making the blood and adrenaline pulse through the veins, we are gently and graciously brought back to the enchanted world of dreams. This is Saint Etienne, this is "Words And Music".

Yes, okay, everything's fine, but... 5 stars? Are you really sure? Like "Tales From Turnpike House," or even like "Tiger Bay"? Well, yes, I am fully convinced, not because the level of this album is comparable to the aforementioned two, but because of what it is and especially how it is. "Tiger Bay" is an arcane dream, distant, a difficult path that few can afford to follow, "Tales From Turnpike House" same, is an ambitious and refined concept, a luxury car, "Words And Music" instead is an impeccable but achievable model, it's the girl/the boy next door, something that, for example, a Little Boots or any newcomer of the genre can legitimately aspire to achieve, provided they demonstrate the talent, seriousness, and commitment that made Saint Etienne great. This is more than enough reason to justify my praise and enthusiasm; there's always a need for albums like this, for artists like Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley, and Pete Wiggs who, in an industry obsessed with image and appearances, respond with class and substance; thank you for existing, I mean it.