Foxbase Alpha

by

Saint Etienne

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This is what started it all. From album to album, the trio of Saint Etienne change musically like a chameleon changes its colors - and each change can be appreciated in a different way. There's something special about Foxbase Alpha, though. Sure it's a little rough around the edges (not having the help of the mixers from albums like Tiger Bay and Continental), but this album has a warmth all its own - a sort of timelessness, if you will. Some of the songs on the album are achievements that the Etienne have yet to top. 'Nothing Can Stop Us' is an amazing song, and it WILL put you in a good mood, no question. 'London Belongs To Me' washes you away in a dreamy sea of gentle vocals and synths. And of course, there's 'Spring', an utterly charming and innocent number. Those are my favorites, but I haven't even mentioned their outstanding covers - 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' by Neil Young, 'Kiss And Make Up' by the Field Mice... I could go on and on.

I love all of Saint Etienne's albums, and I appreciate each of them for what they are - it takes guts to make a pop record one year and a techno one the next, at the risk of seriously alienating some fans. Foxbase Alpha, though, is on a pedestal in my heart. Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs, and Sarah Cracknell may have gone on from here to explore newer, stranger, and wilder sonic frontiers, but this, their first foray into music, is simply magical.

Thanks.

I heard _Fox Base Alpha_ after hearing the more recent album _Good Humor_, which tops my list of favorite pop recordings. _Fox Base Alpha_ does not approach the greatness of _Good Humor_. This album has fewer hooks, more filler, and more of a dated disco-pop sound than _Good Humor_. Don't get me wrong--it's not a bad album at all, but newcomers to the Saint Etienne thing should by all means get _Good Humor_ before this one. Those who have _Good Humor_ and are buying _Fox Base Alpha_ should be prepared for a different sound, one which is less successful in my opinion.