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 Indie-dance
pioneers, Saint Etienne, take a look back at their near
twenty-year career on the definitive, double-disc ‘Best Of’,
London Conversations.
Spanning thirty five enchanting, electro-infused anthems, London
Conversations is an enthusiastic ode to a band constantly riding at the
cusp of breaking new genres throughout the 1990s.
Channelling influences from wherever they could find them, Saint Etienne
helped pave the way for the phenomenon known as Brit-pop, as well as
other staples of modern music, with sometimes baggy, occasionally
beautiful and often brilliant numbers, painting pictures of a London
landscape on a serene canvas.
Fusing elements of trance, pop, house and good old fashioned indie into
sweet, atmospheric tunes such as Join our club and the
bass-driven brilliance of Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Saint
Etienne were mostly revered for their work in the 1990s, but as this
delightful double-disc set proves, they’re just as enjoyable today.
Getting disc one underway is their aforementioned break-through hit,
Only Love Can Break Your Heart, with its hypnotic vibes and
enchanting rhythms, before you find yourself embarking on a
genre-bending musical odyssey which works its way through the likes of
Who Do You Think You Are, a engaging piece of unadulterated pure
pop owing much to the sounds of the 1980s, and a synth-and-strings
styled soul number, appropriately titled Hug My Soul.
And onwards it continues, through the memorable He’s On The Phone,
which should be instantly recognisable to any fans of ‘90s dance music,
past the surreal, dialogue-driven Heart Failed (In The Back of a
Taxi) and into new single, ‘Burned Out Car’.
As singles go, ‘Burned Out Car’ is an appealing effort, full of luscious
synth and vocalist, Sarah Cracknell’s soft, light tones in a hypnotic
blend of trance and pop.
There’s even more to be enjoyed on disc two.
Whether you like a bit of the piano-laden, lavishness that is Kiss
And Make Up, or the sharp guitars and effervescent bass of Boy is
Crying, there’s plenty to be enjoyed.
And even if you’re too young to be all that familiar with the inspiring
work of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs’, that’s OK. As
‘London Conversations’ proves, Saint Etienne are an easy band to fall in
love with.
In a Nutshell: Lavish, enjoyable, unashamed pop music the way
it’s meant to be done; in a genre-defining, inspirational fashion.
You Might Like This if you enjoy: Goldfrapp, Dubstar.
• Saint Etienne release London Conversations on October 6th. The new
single, ‘Burned Out Car’ is out on September 29th.
Recommended links:
►
www.saintetienne.com
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www.londonconversations.com
►
www.myspace.com/londonconversations
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