Tales From Turnpike House

by

Saint Etienne

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Saint Etienne are in top form here. This is their best since "The Sound of Water," which I thought could not be surpassed. Yet in some respects it is very different. It's mellower and almost melancholic. The entire CD has a certain mood about it and if this is the direction the band is going, I'm thrilled with it.

The lead off track "Sun in my Morning" is so deliciously pleasant with Wilson-esque "Pet Sounds" era harmonies. "Milk Bottle Symphony" sounds like a missing track from "Good Humor," with its catchy melody and quality production value. "Lightning Strikes Twice" spotlights Sarah Cracknell's vocal range. The first single "Side Streets" is reminiscent of the classic Youngbloods song "Sunlight." "Last Orders for Gary Stead" shows that Saint Etienne aren't afraid to add a little oomph to their music. So who's singing the duet on "Relocate?" The writing credit goes to Essex/Stanley/Wiggs. Is that really David Essex dueting on "Relocate?" No way! Come on! Get out! Unfortunately the vocalist isn't credited. "The Birdman of EC1" is the instrumental. There's always at least one of those, and it's a beauty with it's fading in and out carousel bit juxtaposed against the haunting keyboard foreground.

The dance tracks "Stars Above Us" and "A Good Thing" are not as punchy as previous dance tracks like "Action" or "He's on the Phone," but they make you want to hop under the strobe light and move in embarassing ways. On "Teenage Winter," Sarah tells us a story of growing up and entering adulthood, which is appropriate considering the obvious maturing sound of the band as shown brilliantly on this CD. "Goodnight" ends the CD on a pleasant note.

The extra CD "Up the Wooden Hill" is a "nice to have" rather than "need to have" collection of simple songs with childlike lyrics. Fans will love it. The average listener should be charmed by it...particularly with the wonderful ditty called "Bedfordshire," which is about a father and young child out enjoying the country. It's precious. Of course the bonus CD is only other place I've ever heard the word "excitation" used in a song save for the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations."

The only disappointment I have in all of this is that as an American citizen, I had to buy this as an import. That means it's not technically been released in the US, which means they have no need to tour here. Hopefully it will come out officially in the US because I'd love to see them in concert again in support of "Tales From Turnpike House."

Although St Etienne frontwoman Sarah Cracknell is well placed in the glamorous-blonde stakes, her band has never exploited that ruse.

This English trio has prospered so long that Cracknell, and sideman Pete Wiggs, have each found time to have a child. Hence the winsome offspring-oriented bonus CD, Up the Wooden Hills - my groovy eight year old loves it.

The main Etienne terrain, however, is still their deceptively sharp and poignant pop-music take on minor English lives and manners.

In this diminishing bedsit-land, the baker has made way for a tanning salon. Muted characters make spiritless bids on e-Bay, yearning to escape their "virtual" lives via a move to the country. A woman declaring "I've got features I quite like and don't mind keeping" almost becomes a cry of triumph.

If socially acute, Turnpike House is nowhere as musically inventive as classic Etienne CDs like Tiger Bay and Good Humor. But standout songs like "Relocate" and "Teenage Winter" will keep the band fresh. It's hard to believe there was no e-Bay (or Amazon) when they started out.