Finisterre literally means The End of The Earth.
As usual, fans of Saint Etienne are left to puzzle over the subtext (if any), while the band itself publicly insists that it was simply taken from a now-discontinued location on the BBC Shipping News. Is the band breaking up? Do they think that they've reached the end of their artistic journey? Or, in more typical fashion, is it simply a giant inside joke?
While I'll leave it to others to debate any hidden messages that the band has left behind, there is no doubt about the album itself. Finisterre is a welcome return to form for this English pop trio who spent the entirety of their last album (the interesting if ultimately weightless Sound of Water) stuck in the soundscapes of German electronica.
The band — consisting of Sarah Cracknell, Pete Wiggs, and Bob Stanley — has returned to England (Sound of Water was made in Berlin and Good Humor was recorded in Sweden) to make a distinctly English album, punctuated by the voice of actor Michael Jayston (I've never heard of him either, but he's apparently one of those character actors who makes you say, in a Pavlovesque reaction, "hey, I've seen that guy before") providing inter-track spoken-word interludes (sample: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, please stay there").
While they haven't gone back to the organic live sound of Good Humor, the new album is clearly an attempt to return to the clever dance-oriented pop that has been their traditional stomping grounds. While Finisterre does not match up with some of their earlier efforts (the astonishing Foxbase Alpha, the crystalline So Tough, and the glorious Tiger Bay (one of the best albums of the 1990s and one of the most misunderstood)), it is still miles beyond the vast majority of popular music churned out by the recording industry today.
"Action", the first single and the lead track of the CD, is a cheery, upbeat euro-disco (I've been informed that the correct word to use here is "house") track vaguely reminiscent of recent Kylie Minogue, awash in shimmering keyboards and a propulsively thumping four-on-the-floor drumbeat. A surefire floorburner, the relentlessly hedonistic music masks the content of the lyrics, which are actually about suburban ennui and a desire to return to the halcyon days of youth. In a sense, this is a typical Etienne single: upbeat, cheerful, populist music with a twist in the lyrics.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
I like SE but I used to love them - their best and freshest work was at the beginning. I do like the new one better than any for a while however. Very nice review.
2 - Paul Frankenstein
Yeah, their first three albums are really extraordinary. Of course, then you run into the "what next?" problem: once you've made something as good as Tiger Bay, what next?
3 - fred
I have found that tracking down their Japanese fanclub compilations "Continental" and "Fairy tales of" are well worth the trouble (and cost). They usually include rare b-sides and other hard to find stuff.
SE have not just been a great group to get remixes of, but have usually been ahead of the curb in finding people to remix for them. From early Chemical Brothers, David Holmes, and Aphex Twin remixes, to having Rick Smith from Underworld helping them produce several songs on Tiger Bay.
A lot of their musical explorations also can be seen in the side projects they have worked on. Sarah has put a decent solo album (not up to SE level, but decent none-the-less). Bob and Pete have started several record labels in the past. I interviewed Bob once for a zine (around Good Humour) and he mentioned a fascination with J-pop bands.
Fred
4 - Eric Olsen
Very interesting Fred, thanks.