Review: Saint Etienne, "Good Humor"

On another rewarding record hunt at Amoeba, I managed to find British pop trio Saint Etienne's 1998 album Good Humor. The best part was that it was the limited edition US release featuring a bonus disc of rare tracks and b-sides, a full album called Fairfax High released nowhere else. Although I've only had the record for a few weeks, Good Humor is already my favorite Saint Etienne album. Like a lot of their finest work, it recalls the best elements of classic British pop from the 60s and 70s, making the listener feel like a player in an old film about London. Unlike their earlier albums Foxbase Alpha and So Tough, it doesn't sound dated at all. Despite all the nostalgia-inducing retro instrumentation and at times frivolous subject matter, it never feels like an archival piece from a bygone era. It also achieves the difficult feat of transcending its musical context, something that their subsequent albums Sound Of Water and Finisterre couldn't manage, with electronic tendencies that, though radical for the group, ended up tying those albums down to numerous turn-of-the-century musical trends. From start to finish, its an uplifting listen that really transports the listener to another time and mindset, with a consistency that makes it difficult to pinpoint standouts. As a subjective reviewer, my favorite would have to be single "The Bad Photographer," which in my opinion is up there with their best works. Singles "Lose That Girl" and "Sylvie" have become classics among Saint Etienne fanatics, and it's easy to see why. Also of note is the wonderful "Erica America," which with its simple plea of "Erica, let's go out tonight!" sums up the album's overall feel of escaping to a less complicated world. Hunt this album down now!

Good Humor sampler:
Saint Etienne, "Lose That Girl" [zShare]
Saint Etienne, "The Bad Photographer" [zShare]
Saint Etienne, "Erica America" [zShare]

For excellent Saint Etienne compilations, check out the US best-of disc Travel Edition 1990-2005 or, if you're feeling more adventurous, try the expansive double-disc retrospective Smash The System: Singles and More.

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