Albums
The 90s were good to London pop alchemists Saint Etienne, and Saint Etienne were good for the 90s. From ‘Only Love Will Break Your Heart’ to brilliant balladry like ‘Avenue’, they poured 60s pop into a funnel powered by Sarah Cracknell’s wistful vocals. However, post-millennium hook-ups with the likes of Paul van Dyk didn’t always succeed, which makes this deft new album a delight. Picture-perfect acoustic opener ‘Over The Border’ charts a life devoted to pop (“I used TOTP as my world atlas”), recent string-drenched single ‘Tonight’ is up there with their best, and Kylie-esque Euro stompers ‘I’ve Got Your Music’ and ‘When I Was Seventeen’ will turn heads young and world-weary alike.
File under Wistful, laser-guided tunes
Download ‘Over The Border’, ‘I’ve Got Your Music’, ‘Heading For The Fair’
Like this? Try Saint Etienne ‘Tiger Bay’ (Heavenly)
