Sound of Water

Saint Etienne

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 6, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 6, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B00004TLYV
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,822 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Saint Etienne's delicate, perfectly crafted blend of '60s pop and of-the-moment electronica has been replicated by so many other acts over the years that the band is threatened with losing its musical brand. The artistic achievement in Sound of Water has been diminished somewhat by competent musicians such as Broadcast and Mono having picked up the gauntlet Saint Etienne first threw down in 1988, and having taken the sounds to new places. Trends are fleeting by definition, and Saint Etienne, in the precarious position of being an inadvertent trendsetter, would have served their audience better with a little reinvention (the Cardigans made this transition magically with 1998's Gran Turismo). Rather, they stick to their overly precious formula, mixing cheap-sounding drum loops, Sarah Cracknell's snazzy-cool vocals, drawn-out melody, and subtle instrumentation (flute, harpsichord, bongos) with butterfly-fluttering techno. As lovely as it all is, by the end of the album, the ear is desperate to hear something more assertive--it's as unsatisfying as eating cotton candy all day when you long for lasagna. In all, the abundance of emotionless na na na's and la la la's result in no no no's. --Beth Massa

Product Description
A decade on from their first single, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," Sound Of Water finds that Saint Etienne still believe in magic. Expect shiny pop with a motorik pulse, a nine-minute single, "How We Used to Live," named after a late '70s schools and colleges series, a concise, thrilling album that balances between the mainstream and more avant-garde concerns.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, June 6, 2000

By	Denmark Jensen (Carson City, NV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the album that fulfills the promise of all that Saint Etienne suggested they could be in previous releases. Their early albums were full of beautiful and interesting electronic textures, against which their best songs from those days achieved a kind of euphoria that only left one wishing they could sustain that feeling for an entire album worth of songs. Then 1998's "Good Humour" proved they could write an album full of the most sublime pop songs, but left out the experimental electronic textures. Now with "Sound Of Water" they achieve perfection of their style with an album full of some of the prettiest songs you've ever heard, set to their most experimental and ultimately pleasing electronic arrangements ever. Its rare to find a band that can stay focused enough to steadily improve over 10 years and five albums. Most bands seem to peak after two or three albums. Thankyou Saint Etienne!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the Amazon-written review, June 7, 2000

By	52pilot "52pilot" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Possibly the most consistent of all St. E releases, "Sound of Water" is more innovative than "Good Humor" (but not as fun), and recaptures some of the brilliant pastiche of "Foxbase Alpha" and "So Tough." Don't expect the club-friendly tunes of those early albums though, or even a collection of clever pop singles like "Tiger Bay" or "Good Humor." "Sound of Water" is yet another departure for a band that successfully reinvents itself with each full-length.

This time out, with the help of German post-electronica artists To Rococo Rot, St. E adds bleeps, blips, and skittering beats to the most mellow tunes they've ever recorded. Sarah sounds amazing, and the best tracks like "Don't Back Down" use a soft cushion of overdubbed background vocals to support her effortless melodies.

Traces of vintage St. E are still present -- "Boy Is Crying" echoes the '60s feel of "You're In A Bad Way," and the middle of "How We Used To Live" offers a blissed-out trancey vibe similar to "He's On The Phone." But St. E are continuing to innovate, combining the often-overlooked ambient electronics of bands like Boards of Canada and Two Lone Swordsmen with classic Bacharach-style pop to create a fascinating modern sound. And if this album doesn't end all those Cardigans comparisons, people just aren't listening.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreamy Perfection, June 11, 2000

By A Customer

Sainte Etienne reached a career zenith with "Good Humor" a perfect,wistful pop postcard that capped eight bountiful years of a band searching for cohesiveness.The tour that followed secured them as a "real band" with a stunning live show that cast Sarah Cracknell as That Girl -- a stage persona with equal parts Deborah Harry and Grace Kelly. How to follow all that up? Well we will dismiss the hit or miss EP "Places to Visit" that came after as an impatient record company (Subpop) wanting to cash in on the bands triumphant year. Instead, showing their stunning versatility as artists,the breathtaking "Sound of Water" is the legitimate follow up. And what a follow up it is. Like warm bubbly lavender scented water pulsating from jets in a hot tub, Saint Etienne have managed to produce another immaculate album of seamless pop songs. Those listening for instant hooks need to be patient for this CD to reveal its cool but assured ambiance over time. Don't make the mistake the lazy Amazon reviewer did and judge this quickly. Listen and enjoy the best kept secret in pop music for the past ten years. Some bands that hang around for the long haul truly get better over time and "Sound of Water" proves that!