Saint Etienne - Home Counties [New Album 2017]

Zu

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Am listening to an interview with Sarah on Gaydio YES I KNOW and there's a NEW SAINT ETIENNE ALBUM OUT IN JUNE! :disco::disco::disco:
 
Let's lightly slash our wrists and bravely apply a creamy lipgloss to 'DJ' in preparation for this delicious event :disco:



He's never going to keep his promise
She's NEVER GOING TO SEE HIM AGAIN
 
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38827272

Called Home Counties, it reflects the band's experiences of growing up in Surrey and Berkshire.

The songs tackle everything from the Enfield Poltergeist (a notorious hoax that made the national press in the 1970s) to the rail drivers' union Aslef, as well as "teenage parties and deceased pets".

Brexit as well, apparently.
 
I think they work best when their songs are tinged with an atmosphere of wistful nostalgia so my hopes are up for this record.
 
Tour dates

May 2017
Fri 26 Hebden Bridge Trades Club [Warm Up Show]
Sat 27 Oxford Common People Festival
Wed 31 Barcelona Primavera Sound

June 2017
Fri 02 London Royal Festival Hall
Sat 03 Cardiff Tramshed
Sun 04 Birmingham Town Hall
Tue 06 Bexhill De La Warr
Thu 08 Newcastle Sage
Fri 09 Edinburgh Queens Hall
Sat 10 Sheffield City Hall Ballroom
Sun 11 Manchester RNCM Concert Hall

Tickets onsale Friday
 
Ironic it's called Home Counties and the tour goes everywhere but.
 
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They do always play the SAME FUCKING CITIES, which is annoying as fuck
 
It sounds like it's rather glam rock influenced Et. Which always my least favourite of their genres...
 
Both sound a little drab at this point and not exactly the CATCHIEST
 
Quick StEt question...did they ever release their version of "Choc-Stock" in better quality than that flexidisc?
 
The "This house is HAUNTED" bits at the end are :disco: but the rest is a bit MEH for a new single.
 
As for "Heather", I'm not convinced it is the single. It's a buzz track, isn't it? I'd have thought they'd have gone with a proper single before the album comes out.

I'm debating whether to go old school and go to all the gigs- quite a few fit in with being able to visit old friends in places and it would make me feel like it's 2005 again, which is NO BAD THING...
 
I'm debating whether to go old school and go to all the gigs- quite a few fit in with being able to visit old friends in places and it would make me feel like it's 2005 again, which is NO BAD THING...

Scrap that. We have Mr Sheena's family on the first weekend so now I've got to either go to NEWCASTLE or BUST
 
HOLD YOUR PONIES PAM, we may have a CHILD dancing in the WELSH NATIONAL DANCING CHAMPIONSHIPS and we may be back on.

OH WHAT A LIFE
 
The "This house is HAUNTED" bits at the end are :disco: but the rest is a bit MEH for a new single.

That is the best part yes, but I rather like dirty sounding old Heather. I don't know why, considering the last album was fabulous all over and the previous one nearly so, but my expectations are much lower this time around. It has been a while since they had one producer do the whole lot, and I'm not banking on too many big pop numbers.
 
It's a bit ONE OF THE LESSER NUMBERS OFF ONE OF THOSE FANCLUB-ONLY FLEXIS :(
 
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I know it's deliberately retro but I'm not sure about that HORRIBLE FONT
 
The verses are fine, but that chorus does drone a bit. I really think Heather is the better song.

Probably clutching at straws but maybe the album is full of obtuse arty gems and they just plumped for something vaguely poppy as the single.
 
I'm not getting anything from this era yet- AT ALL. I'm REALLY WORRIED :(
 
I've had another listen to both and they're not dreadful as such, although it errs on actual coma rather than gay coma. It's really weird because I truly love them, definitely count them as one of my favourite acts and excitedly buy every album, yet they're extremely good at being rather dreary and frankly not really all that CATCHY

BLESS :disco:
 
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Nothing is DREADFUL at all, but so far, of the three songs, they're all just, well, THERE. "Heather" is the best but I couldn't hum it to you...
 
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I actually put some of their old ones through the hum test this morning, starting with a run through of the song titles on 'Good Humor' which isn't my favourite album by them by any means, but I should be able to HUM THEM

ERM... :D
 
I'm listening to 'Mr Donut' RIGHT NOW and all attempts to hum along sound like someone's DYING
 
Oh I can hum most of their very obscure bsides, but THIS LOT. Hmm...

*frugs to "Lover Plays The Bass" gently around the veranda*
 
It's making me reminisce for the time I saw TOM BAKER drinking down the HAT AND FAN
 
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"Lover Plays The Bass" is a MARVEL, though my current fave for drifting along the South Bank on my way to work is "I Buy American Records".
 
So the (quite beautiful) bundle arrived today on vinyl, CD and cassette and firstly, the way its presented is, as you'd expect, utterly beautiful. Different across all formats (well, I haven't opened the cassette to be honest...) and just beautifully done. The vinyl looks incredible.

As for the album, two plays in and it’s alright. It's VERY different to the mainly pop music led "Words and Music"- there aren't really any bangers here- and there's hints of "Good Humour" and even "Finisterre" for me, with spoken interludes that come across as a cross between that album and "Foxbase Alpha". The Latino madness of "Dive" is the standout so far and "Heather" (which I now love) works really well in the context of the album. I think the whole thing will be a grower, but colour me pleasantly surprised...
 
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And interesting little piece in which Bob has ranked all the Et studio albums in order of his preference.

https://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/article/rank-your-records-saint-etienne-bob-stanley

I thought it was well held rumour that they hated "Good Humour" (excuse the pun) for being too Cardigansesque- something he addresses in the interview interestingly. Also, pleased to say I have the same first two as him, my order being:

1. Good Humour
2. Words And Music By Saint Etienne
3. Tiger Bay
4. Tales From Turnpike House
5. So Tough
6. Finisterre
7. Foxbase Alpha
8. Sound Of Water
 

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