Search - Saint Etienne :: Tales from Turnpike House

A fine return.

M. Lohrke | Provo, UT | 10/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"saint etienne is my favorite band. ever. it's really not even a contest. i'm in the middle of a decade long love affair with the ets, ever since i first heard them back in the fall of 1994 in ponferrada, spain. like most people here on amazon, i too consider 'so tough' and 'tiger bay' to be albums by which all other saint etienne albums could be judged. *could* being the operative word. for some reason there appear to be a lot of people claiming 'it's no 'tiger bay' or it's not as good as 'so tough.' these are probably the same folks still pining away for u2 to make 'the joshua tree' part deux, and the same folks who are disappointed to find that their best friends from high school or college have, in fact, changed in the last 15 years. we're talking apples and oranges here. comparing saint etienne 2005 to saint etienne 1995 is an exercise in futility, and not to mention a bit pointless. Of course they've changed, matured, grown up, etc. how different were YOU ten to fifteen years ago?



having said that, i was bit apprehensive about a new release, especially after the watered-down and somewhat uninspired 'finisterre' (which certainly did have its nice moments, to be sure). i stumbled across an advanced copy of the album and with a little trepidation stuck in my cd player. it's kind of like opening a present from grandma: you hope it's g.i. joe headquarters, but there's a slight chance it's smurf pajamas. after a few tracks i was convinced: saint etienne is back, and back with a vengeance. there are the obligatory dance floor stompers like 'good thing,' 'lightening strikes twice,' and the absolutely addictive 'stars above us' which challenges even the most rhythmically challenged to get out on the dance floor and give it a go (i'm sure it'll spawn a whole disc of remixes, too). and make no mistake: this isn't saint etienne 'doing kylie,' as so many have said. rather this is saint etienne doing kylie doing saint etienne. kylie's got nothing on lady crackers, kids. and well all know it. there's also the mozzer-esque 'marching orders for gary stead' straight from the t-rex school of glitter-glam pop which we've really not heard from the ets before.



these songs aside, the real strength of 'tales from turnpike house' lays in the softer, quieter songs. (here i go comparing apples and oranges) 'sun in my morning' with it's 'pet sounds' vocal harmonies (that 'tales from...' was inspired by 'smile' shouldn't come as any surprise), 'slow down at the castle,' and 'teenage winter' hearken back to the 'tiger bay' and 'he's on the phone' b-sides, particular 'i buy american records,' 'groveley road,' 'is it true,' and the exquisite 'the process' (arguably one of their finest moments). sarah, still glamorous as ever, sounds smooth as cinema seats (ok, that was bad, i admit it) and pete and bob have once again dipped into their magic hat of pop nostalgia and mixed it with just the right amount of contemporary flare.



in short, this isn't 'tiger bay' or 'so tough,' nor should it be. anyone wanting another one of those two albums needs to save up his or her money and buy a time machine. 'tales from turnpike house' reveals a new, rejuvenated, reinvigorated saint etienne -- confident, sassy, and passively cool-without entirely shedding the skin that made them so great and innovative in the first place.



saint etienne 2005 sees the band with one eye excitedly looking toward the future and the other looking lovingly at the past.



a stellar album."

Back on top!

Kim S. Howard | 06/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"after the disappointing finisterre this is a terrific return to form. some of saint etienne's influences (eg brian wilson)are a little less digested than previously, but it is still an exceptionally beautiful album."