Words and Music by Saint Etienne

by Saint Etienne

Overview

Saint Etienne's eighth record, Words and Music by Saint Etienne, is centered on a theme that has been part of their music since the group began. They've always been one of the most nostalgic groups around, draping themselves in the visuals, styles, and sounds of the past while still staying modern. They've rarely seemed to be touched by the past on a personal level, but now perhaps age and experience have given them a reason to look back at their own lives and do a bit of summing up. Fortunately, this bit of soul-searching self-awareness isn't delivered via somber, acoustic guitar-based navel-gazing; instead, it comes coated in disco synthesizers and a slickly done production job (by a team of the group, longtime associate Ian Catt, Richard X, and Xenomania's Tim Powell) that positions them firmly in the Pop (with a capital P) world. About half the record is drenched in nostalgia, vaguely melancholic and introspective. The first track, "Over the Border," wistfully talks about growing up, falling in love with music, and wondering if it will last; elsewhere, Sarah Cracknell sings about bad choices ("Twenty Five Years," "I Threw It All Away"), and on the atypically '80s rock-inspired "When I Was Seventeen," they make the nostalgic nature of the album very clear. The nuanced melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and Cracknell's tender vocals put these songs over splendidly and give the album a sturdy emotional core beneath the glitzy surface. The other half of the album is built on bouncing beats, glittering synths, and Cracknell's feather-light vocals, and is designed to be played over radio waves and in sweaty nightclubs. This half of the album speaks to the power of music to sweep you away, fill you with hope and love, and make everything all right. To that end, the group also succeeds and crafts some of its finest dancefloor-filling moments ever; Sarah Cracknell has never sounded better than on the flashy "The Last Days of Disco," "DJ" has a nice callback to the melody of "Like a Motorway," and "Haunted Jukebox" sports a mid-'60s soul groove and some lushly lovely backing vocals. Songs like these really do capture the transformative qualities the best music can have, just as the ballads on the album transmit all sorts of deeper feelings of loss and regret. These dual aspects of the record mesh perfectly, often on the same song, and Words and Music turns out to be one of the band's most enriching albums, both musically and emotionally. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	08/14/2020
Label:	Heavenly
UPC:	5400863027322

Tracks

1. Over the Border
2. I've Got Your Music
3. Heading for the Fair
4. The Last Days of Disco
5. Tonight
6. Answer Song
7. Record Doctor
8. Popular
9. Twenty Five Years
10. DJ
11. When I Was Seventeen
12. I Threw It All Away
13. Haunted Jukebox

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Saint Etienne   Primary Artist
Ian Catt   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass
Jez Williams   Bass,Guitar,Synthesizer
Stefan Defilet   Strings
Nick Squires   Strings
Leo Chadburn   Recorder
Bob Stanley   Keyboards
Rob Walbourne   Drums
Piotr Kopek   Strings
Merissa Porter   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Rob Davis   Guitar,Keyboards,Keyboards
Pete Wiggs   Keyboards
Dom Thomas   Drums,Percussion,Synthesizer
James McMaster   Guitar
CTA Strings   Strings
Bill Hawkes   Strings
Sarah Cracknell   Vocals
Nick Coler   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Tina Charles   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Tim Powell   Keyboards
Erol Alkan   Drums,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Ian Catt   Producer,Programming,Additional Production,Mixing,Arranger
Jez Williams   Additional Production
The Golden Filter   Remixing,Additional Production
Tim Larcombe   Composer,Producer
Andrew Walsh   Management
Rob Davis   Composer,Mixing,Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Mixing,Producer,Drum Programming
Julian Fernandez   Project Coordinator
Guy Davie   Mastering
Deborah Wykes   Composer
Bob Stanley   Composer,Group Member
Club Clique   Remixing,Additional Production
Jordan Koplowitz   Remixing,Additional Production
Reed Juenger   Remixing,Additional Production
White Horses   Remixing
Merissa Porter   Composer
Brian Wilson   Composer
Pete Wiggs   Composer,Group Member
Dom Thomas   Additional Production
Elain Constantine   Photography
Mark Waterfield   Composer
Tony Asher   Composer
Lawrence Oakley   Composer
Pete Hofman   Mixing,Additional Production
Summer Camp   Remixing,Additional Production
Robert Berkeley Davis   Composer
Paul Kelly   Sleeve Design
Waterfield   Composer
Kisses   Remixing,Additional Production
Raf Rundell   Remixing,Additional Production
Travis Elborough   Liner Notes
Tim Powell   Composer,Composer,Producer,Programming
Stay +   Remixing,Additional Production
Andrei Basirov   Programming
Martin Kelly   Management
Joe Goddard   Remixing,Additional Production
Sarah Cracknell   Composer,Group Member
Richard X   Mixing,Additional Production
Pete Hofmann   Mixing,Additional Production
Richard Norris   Remixing,Additional Production
Nick Coler   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Programming
Muddyloop   Remixing,Additional Production
Tom Middleton   Remixing,Additional Production
Erol Alkan   Reworking