The Night

From the beginning, Saint Etienne have peppered their albums with occasional moments of soft reflection that have put the subtle, introspective side of the group on full display. Foxbase Alphas "London Belongs to Me" was one of the first examples, So Toughs "Hobart Paving" was one of the best, and they gave listeners fair warning that the bands emotions ran deeper than their love of off-brand samples and dancefloor glitter may have indicated. On 2021s Ive Been Trying to Tell You, they gave themselves over to creating an album that was devoted to only these magically melancholy interludes, which were built out of wisps of chopped-up samples, half-played synthesizers, and nostalgic mist. The result was something of a career highlight, a work that felt important but was still filled with joy and warmth. Not content to quit there, Saint Etienne delve heart-first back into ambient soundscape pop again on 2024s The Night and come up with another heart-stopping album. This time Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley are joined more fully by Sarah Cracknell, who adds her spectral vocals and nocturnal monologues to the mix and rachets up the emotional stakes a notch or two. Which is saying something, since they were already set impossibly high on Ive Been Trying to Tell You. Songs like "Nightingale" and "Preflyte" are laid bare emotionally, even as Cracknells vocals are surrounded by instrumentation thats brutally stark and immaculately lush at the same time. The band take a page from the Talk Talk playbook in that regard, and much of the record comes across like a calmer, more relaxed Colour of Spring. Great chunks of songs morph and swirl in repetitive clouds of instruments real, sampled, and synthesized, building to emotional climaxes that resonate in ways one might not expect from a group with the frivolous reputation Saint Etienne have long unjustly labored under. Play the devastating "When You Were Young" or the majestic "Hear My Heart" for someone who thinks this is a novelty band, and then stand back as their jaw hits the floor. Even the few tracks that have a lighter feel -- like the harmony-rich "Gold" or the dreamlike snippet of shimmering beauty "Half Light" -- are imbued with a sparkling sense of gravity that grounds the songs in reality. The Night is a deadly serious, very heavy record made by a band who have taken all theyve learned about dynamics and songcraft and, with the help of producer Augustin Bousfield, come up with the kind of album that, if made by a group other than them, might have topped year-end lists made by serious music publications. As it is, the record will likely exist as a lost treasure to be excavated years down the road to be loved and emulated. Saint Etienne have made more than their share of great albums over the years; chalk this up as one of the best and proof that they have become more than just a brilliant pop act. The Night and Ive Been Trying to Tell You are the work of a group on a journey of deep artistic reinvention and discovery, and anyone along for the ride should count themselves very lucky. ~ Tim Sendra