Words & Music By Saint Etienne [Import]

Hello fellow Saint Etienne fans.

YES the wait has been way too long for this stellar album to come out - but if you wait 5 more seconds, the rewards are great.

There are TWO versions of this album available for download. Nearly the same price. Be sure yours is the 25 Track Deluxe Edition with Digital Booklet. For a half buck less, you merely get the standard album, no digital booklet.

OK, the booklet is not much to write home about. Just some pictures of some doorways around London, a lovely shot of the band (looking dapper and beautiful as always) and a lyrics page. The real treat is the remix album. Remix albums can either be essential (Prince, Big Country, New Order), dreadful (Lady Gaga) or inessential (Radiohead's The King of Limbs remix). I am not sure where this one will land, but for 50 extra cents, it's all butter to me.

Just like Sarah Cracknell's creamy, dreamy voice - oh how I missed her, that posh, soothing soprano and her dazzling closet of cocktail dresses. Pinky out, cocktail to lips, relax and let Sarah delight you with tales (spoken and sung) about the importance of music in her life.

This album will take a while to fully absorb, but don't wait for me or anyone else. While it is only ten bucks - grab it now and enjoy.

This is a great album! I wasnt expecting this at all to be honest. After Tales From Turnpike House mellower entry in their catalog, I thought they would sort of follow that one up with something similar. Don't get me wrong, Turnpike House had some really nice songs, but most of the songs were pretty soft & gentle tunes without a whole lot of boldness or experimenting going on. It was kind of an easy going Saint Etienne CD! But Words & Music completely changes course with some incredible catchy songs, with great hooks, danceable, techno, with the unique trademark sounds from their older albums also added in. A lot of experimenting going on actually, changing things up from song to song. All of it so catchy and a pleasure to listen to. The first half dozen times I've played this CD I've just gotten lost in the journey. Sarah's vocals and the great productions and instrumentation just glides along and never gets boring. The album also has a depth like the other reviewer said you cannot grasp it during the first listen but with repeated plays you appreciate it more and more! The album has a complexity to it that will probably make it an enjoyable listen for a long time to come. To me the songwriting is just better this time, they've had 7 years to work on it and it's just a real treat! 5 stars all the way!!!

This album quickly grew on me after a few listens. The other reviewers are absolutely right about it having a depth that you might not notice on the first listen.

My initial reaction was a bit less favorable. First of all, some of the songs sounded a bit samey to me, like maybe they stuck with the same synthesizer effects in each song (which is not really true, in retrospect). Also, I wasn't so sure about them releasing an "ode to music" album, because it's clear in their past albums that they love music. Do they really need to spell it out?

But like I said, the album quickly grew on me. There's no problem with them spelling out their love of music, because of course they're doing it in their classy Saint Etienne way. They've always done a great job of evoking just the right emotions with each song, and this album is no exception. This is not a mere "I (heart) music" on a bumper sticker sort of thing. It's a subtle sermon.

As for it sounding all a bit samey, well, there is a clear focus on catchy dance tracks on this album, and at first listen, it might seem vapid. But nothing is ever vapid with Saint Etienne, is it? This is where the hidden depth of the album comes in. There are little nuances here and there, and of course clever lyrics, and Sarah's wistful delivery of them, that demonstrate one of the messages of the album: music can be meaningful even if it doesn't sound like it at first.

In a way, the message in this album is what I've been wanting to hear from them for a long time. They clearly know a lot about music, and sometimes they're cheeky about it, putting acoustic name-drops in their songs and such. Some musicians take this too far and become arrogant, treating music like an exclusive club. Some musicians go ironic, mocking the clichés of days past. But Saint Etienne never does that, and I love them for it. They have too much respect for the medium and its effect on people. And here they take a stand and come right out and say it: they are music lovers and they want you to love music, too.