The long-time trio of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley, and Pete Wiggs have decided to bow out on their terms. Saint Etienne have been acclaimed from the get-go, with their earliest 90s albums, Foxbase Alpha and So Tough, introducing their endearing exercises in soulful indie pop. Three decades later, the pair of meditative 2020s albums, I’ve Been Trying to Tell You and The Night, both showcase the band’s thoughtful, downtempo side. The years in between have been wondrous flirtations with alt-dance, cosmic pop, and introspective ambience. International satisfyingly distils all these touchstones.
There’s no tension between the group; they simply felt like it was time to end on a high note. That alone makes International even more of a positive affair. It’s a throwback to 90s aesthetics, but it’s equally a modern dance pop record, almost a reclamation moment like New Order’s late-career return to form, Music Complete. Saint Etienne similarly tap into everything they do best, but it’s by no means groundbreaking. If anything, it’s a shame they’re waving goodbye while sounding this rejuvenated. The immediacy would have you think there’s still plenty left in the tank, but the euphoric atmosphere is a big enough distraction from their heartbreaking farewell.
To make their goodbye more worthwhile, Saint Etienne enlisted the help of many friends, contemporaries and new frontrunners. Opener “Glad”, co-produced by The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands, is the band’s strongest single in years. Bright synths pan in each ear and breakbeats come crashing down, as the rocketing musical positivity perfectly accompanies Cracknell’s words on finding pleasure in the everyday when life wears you down. This blend of joy and melancholy is signature Saint Etienne. “The Go Betweens” is a lively duet with Haircut One Hundred’s Nick Heyward, its propulsive electropop beat reminiscent of Tiga’s earlier material. Another standout is “Brand New Me”, featuring Australia’s Confidence Man with Janet Planet singing alongside Cracknell. The bouncy, Foxbase Alpha sound is revived with a fresh sheen, as if Saint Etienne are passing the torch to the next generation of alt-dance stars.
Saint Etienne lean into calmer territory too, like on the aptly titled “Sweet Melodies”, where gorgeous strings sound like so – it’s an exquisite, magnificent breather next to all the vintage dance pop. So is the delicate “Fade”, its words on disappearing love help round out International’s lyrical quality, providing a chance to dance one’s woes away. The most treasurable is the closing number, “The Last Time”, where Cracknell walks through the band’s three decades as effervescent electronics tug at the heartstrings. To bow out on such a lovely, heartwarming note, this last time that we get to hear new Saint Etienne on record is one to remember.
