Sometimes when an artist starts claiming that there’s always been an X element to their music which hasn’t ever previously been heard the grating axe of contrivance is the only thing audible, but thankfully this doesn’t apply in the case of Saint Etienne.
Pete Wiggs, Bob Stanley and Sarah Cracknell have always allowed their now occasional project a certain elan; even when they were sketching out gentle comedowns on their debut single Only Love Can Break Your Heart the characters involved felt more Twiggy than baggy.
The Night arrives three years on from it’s predecessor I’ve Been Trying To Tell You and is the fruit of being reunited for their first post-pandemic recording sessions. Having used found sounds and samples when apart, the trio have continued on the journey, attempting to carry listeners into a drowsy, cocoon like state of mind.
They’re partially successful, using drones and patches on Celestial and Ellar Carr, but there are still conventional moments such as Preflyte and Hear by Heart. Searchers will want to revel in the Cafe Del Mar vibes of Alone Together, but it’s the snippet-long glow of Half Light which underlines that deep down, there’s always been an element of glittering transcendence to Saint Etienne’s music.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 