Words and Music by Saint Etienne

Well, I've given it several listens over the past week, and there are one or two things on it that I think are okay, but I think I'm ready to give up on this album. It just isn't doing it for me. The Words just aren't very interesting - where's the old, strange poetic imagery of lines like "rain falls like Elvis tears", or "oh, the clown's no good" - and the Music is fairly characterless poptimist din. Oh well.

I need to get this earworm of my first encounter with "Systems of Romance" out of my head first.

xp see?

I think it's the last four songs that really make the album.

― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, May 22, 2012 9:35 AM (1 week ago)

Very much agree with this.

Synth at the end of the chorus in "DJ" is very Italo.

xxxxp hey thanks everything! glad you like it.

we've only just had our copies through and clocked that the remix before ours is by Richard 'Grid/Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve' Norris.
had no idea who 'Time And Space Machine' was!

I think the FACT reviewer was annoyed because the album has tunes on it. I realise that this is a terrible neoliberal conceit in FACT World.

What's that obvious soundtrack-y sample at the start of 25 Years? It's probably really obvs and is totally bugging me.

xpost to piscesx. Yeah that remix of Coming Through the Fair is another favorite. It scratches my "Cool Kids of Death"/"Stoned To Say The Least" itch quite nicely. I have a copy of the new Time and Space Machine album but haven't got round to checking it out yet. Basically I've been listening to this all week now.

(Sarah's voice is generally less obnoxious on the remixes as it's been treated in various ways)

^this is v otm; i <3 sarah but on the reg songs shes overwhelming

predictably i think this album is pretty great. first go-around and i was not particularly thrilled but it sounds better every time i give it a go.

Best tracks anyone? To lead me into this.

dj
tonight
popular
when i was 17
last days of disco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdIB21d-Lig

i warmed up to this album in a big way btw & it kinda works 4 summer imo

yea tonight & both remixes are in constant rotation the last few wks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrBtDsf9x3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf1Trm4ltRM

i like this album, totally surprised as nothing of theirs has clicked with me since the 90s!

this album probably skews a bit closer to their 'tiger bay'/'continental'-era sound than anything else they've done.

i know the first song is 'obvious' a bit but i really like it

i really like you!

http://wiki.luukland.net/images/3/3f/Face-Blush-120px.png

A nice Saint Etienne track here:

http://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/track/steeplechase

so...I like this? "DJ" grabbed me by the collar, maybe because it reminds me of "Action."

ya i think i officially like this album

really gets better w/each listen imo. looking forward to the tour!

This is their best album since So Tough, which after years of fruitless exploration on my part is a relief.

i would give good humor a re-scr...re-listen. i feel like a lot of people aren't into it bc of st et expectations, it was my entry point and i think it's a pretty sweet album. more club 8 labrador swedish pop style than a st et album.

Good Humor is outstanding.

I like GH best of the post-ST records.

Tales From Turnpike House is by far my favourite since So Tough, there are no bad songs on that album. Agree that Words & Music just gets better and better.

aye.. there's a ballot coming up fairly soon, I believe.

Finistere for me - but admittedly I haven't heard the two last ones

Finally getting to see "What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?"

This is what I want Saint Etienne to sound like, to be like, these days.

bought a ticket 4 the boston show - excited! have nvr seem em live

http://saintetienne.greedbag.com/

The special "US" edition that's impossible to get in the UK unless you spend tons on ebay is, um, possible to get now.

Basically, the second CD is all-new (bar two) songs, about ten in total.

Disappointed that I missed them when they were in town recently; I checked this album out after the poll and it's quite good, best I've heard since So Tough.

Heh, when those extra copies went on sale yesterday, the greedbag site instantly died and didn't come back for hours. Their limited edition fuckery is getting pretty tiresome. Four editions of the latest album, three with different track listings, two extremely difficult to buy... except on eBay, of course. It's 2012 guys... do pre-orders for the limited edition releases and press up enough to satisfy demand. It isn't hard.

That Greedbag site was horrible, and you're right, girl from spirea x, the fuckery one must endure to receive their many limited releases is absurd. This isn't the first time that they couldn't handle the surge from users when offering something new, either. Quite a lot of us in the states didn't live anywhere near where the band was playing, and then to have to scurry for a copy of an album's worth of material from a band we've been following for more than two decades. They should work that out.

I think it's things like this that make things like peer-to-peer filesharing ethically justifiable in certain circumstances.

Absolutely, especially when you know a load of these were bought just to end up on ebay. Love the band, but not going to buy the same album twice.

feel free to PM me if you are looking for those tracks.

may not last long but someone put the whole special US edition on yt; i really love 'solid gold'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfCm4Pu0AqE

I'm going to take this opportunity to remind everyone that a Masters at Work rmx of "Nothing Can Stop Us" exists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sdeADYESwg

Don't let those "some reviews" put you off, kraudive. Most of them are favourable (and that FACT one is completely OFFTM).

― daavid, Wednesday, May 30, 2012 7:00 PM (3 hours ago)

It was the FACT review a little, yes. But more really threads like this, containing comments from obvious fans of later albums who said they were underwhelmed. Of course, I'll make my own decision when I have time.

― kraudive, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 23:00 (11 months ago)

This is a lovely Saint Etienne album. It'd be good to read what people think a year or so in. It's sounding GREAT tonight, esp next to the Daft Punk that I've put it up against a lot this week. I love that also obv.

I like it a lot too. Its similar to their old stuff both in sound and "spirit" i think, and sort of stands out bc the vibe is very 90s. Great band.

X months later and this album makes me so happy. Much better than I initially thought.

This album could practically be an ilxor (of a certain age and place). And "Answer Song" is gigantic.

Yeah.