International

セイント・エティエンヌ、ラスト・アルバム『インターナショナル』をリリース。
トム・ローランズ(ケミカル・ブラザーズ)、ジェズ・ウィリアムズ(ダヴズ)、ティム・パウエル(ゼノマニア)、ニック・ヘイワード、エロル・アルカン、ジャネット・プラネット(コンフィデンス・マン)、ポール・ハートノル(オービタル)、ヴィンス・クラークがゲスト参加。

Saint Etienneがラスト・アルバム『International』をリリースする。XenomaniaのTim Powellと共同プロデュースしたこのアルバムは、Heavenly Recordingsよりリリースされる。
バンドは解散するわけではない。35年間共にレコーディングを続けてきた彼らは今も親友同士だが、永遠にバンドを続けたいとは思っておらず、派手に幕を閉じたいと考えている。『International』は、昨年11月にリリースされた、バンドのキャリアの中でも屈指の高評価を獲得した、夜行性でアンビエントなアルバム『The Night』に続く作品となる。
Bob StanleyとPete Wiggsは幼馴染で、1990年にNeil Youngの「Only Love Can Break Your Heart」のカバーと共にバンドをスタートさせた。1991年の3枚目のシングル「Nothing Can Stop Us」とアルバム『Foxbase Alpha』より、Sarah Cracknellが参加し、それ以来、彼らは映画、書籍、キュレーションなどにも活動の幅を広げ、Southbank Centreのレジデンス・アーティストとなった。彼らは今、ニュー・レコーディングに区切りをつける時が来たとシンプルに感じている。
『International』は『The Night』とはスタイルもアプローチも大きく異なるが、どちらのアルバムもSaint Etienneの真髄を体現しています。『International』では、3人は友人、ヒーロー、そして同世代のアーティストにコラボレーションを依頼した。その中にはConfidence Manも含まれていた(2022年のKite Festivalで共演した後、彼らがSaint Etienneの大ファンであることが判明した)。
「Brand New Me」は、1991年の傑作「Nothing Can Stop Us」と「Groove Is In The Heart」が融合したような曲で、SarahがConfidence ManのJanet Planetとデュエットしている。他にも、「Sweet Melodies」(Erol Alkan)、「Two Lovers」(Vince Clarke)、「The Go Betweens」(Nick Heywardとのデュエット)、「Take Me To The Pilot」(OrbitalのPaul Hartnoll)、「Glad」(Chemical BrothersのTom Rowlands/DovesのJez Williams)、「Dancing Heart」と「He's Gone」(XenomaniaのTim Powell)といった、コラボレーターとの楽曲が収録されている。そして、『International』のラスト・トラックは、35年以上にわたる彼らの歩みと成長を振り返る、涙を誘うナンバーだ。彼らは、「Last Time」で、まさにファンに別れを告げる。

After recording two of their most experimental, most well-received albums -- 2021s Ive Been trying to Tell You and 2024s The Night -- Saint Etienne decided to take an even more radical step for their 12th album. The trio of Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs, and Sarah Cracknell agreed that it would be their last. They also figured that to make it a special occasion they would call in some special collaborators to help out including Tom Rowlands of Chemical Brothers, Vince Clarke, Paul Hartnoll of Orbital, Xenomanias Tim Powell, and Erol Alkan, among others. The resulting International is classic Saint Etienne, full of melancholy dance tracks, heart-breaking ballads, and sophisticated retro pop. Its a fitting send-off that touches on much of what made the band so special and gives proof that their desire to go out with a bang before they lost any of their genius was fulfilled. Just the first track alone is enough to give notice that the group are still at the top of their game. "Glad," a collab with Rowlands and Jez Williams of Doves, booms out of the speakers with huge drums, thumping bass, and jangling guitars in a style very reminiscent of some of the bands early work, while coming across very fresh and shiny. Cracknell sings it like she just joined the band and wants to make a great impression, imbuing the song with all the hope and sadness it deserves. Much of the rest of the record is made up of bits that are equally nostalgic and futuristic, which makes sense since that has always been the bands M.O. The Xenomania-driven "My Dancing Heart" and "Hes Gone" are top-level club tracks with house pianos, crisp samples, and Cracknells perfect vocals; their track with Hartnoll, "Take Me to the Pilot," is a bracing blast of ice-covered big-beat techno, and Vince Clarkes contribution -- the new wave-adjacent "Two Lovers" -- is a gem. The group have always worked well with others. Their all-encompassing view of pop music means there is room for a legacy artist like Nick Heyward -- who co-writes and sings on the Prefab Sprout-like pop song "The Go Betweens" -- and up and comers like Confidence Man, whose Janet Planet duets quite nicely with Cracknell on "Brand New Me," a song that has the strutting feel of "Nothing Can Stop Us Now." To focus too much on the guests would be to shortchange the underlying vison of Stanley and Wiggs, and that would be wrong because the record is very much Saint Etiennes at heart. The collaborators bend their sound to fit the aesthetic that the group have taken such great pains to perfect over their long career. Plus, the handful of songs the band worked on alone more than hold their own; "Save fa Rainy Day" is lovely, tear-soaked sophsti-pop, "Fade" juxtaposes light breakbeats and sweeping strings as Cracknell sing/speaks her heart out, and "The Last Time" tells the tale of the band as synths bubble, backing vocals soothe, and the credits roll. Not a dry eye in the house. International is beautiful and painful in equal amounts. Beautiful because one of the great pop bands of the modern era has left such a moving, inspired, and special artifact; painful because its not fair for them to quit when they can still make records like this. Their minds seem made up, though, and Saint Etienne walk away from the game winners. Anyone lucky enough to have been along for the ride can only consider themselves winners too. ~ Tim Sendra