Saint Etienne: Good Humor

In the four years since Saint Etienne's last album of new material, Tiger Bay, the band has released an import-only greatest-hits collection, collaborated with French singer Etienne Daho on a song that was a huge hit in Europe, and disbanded, a la The Verve, for no discernible reason. Now the band has reunited, and its first album for Sub Pop finds it recruiting Cardigans producer Tore Johansson and a slew of largely Swedish studio musicians. The result, not surprisingly, is a Saint Etienne album that sounds a whole lot like a Cardigans album—not necessarily a bad thing. On previous albums, Saint Etienne multi-instrumentalists Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have downplayed the role of lead singer Sarah Cracknell, replacing her with outside vocalists when the track called for it, writing all the songs on the first few records, and loading albums with unnecessary instrumentals. Good Humor finds the band placing Cracknell's breathy, effervescent voice at the forefront, to remarkable effect. Cracknell may not possess a technically overwhelming voice, but she has an exceptional gift for phrasing and an ability to stretch out her vowels so a word like "Idaho" becomes infused with bittersweet yearning and wistful despair. Saint Etienne's previous albums have had their moments of pop transcendence, but Good Humor is by far the band's warmest, most consistent to date. From the ABBA-worthy disco of "Sylvie" to the Motown pop of the wonderfully ambiguous "The Bad Photographer," Good Humor finds the band expanding its sonic base while delivering pop bliss. Good Humor is a bit lightweight and disposable, but for lovers of fey Euro-pop, it's about as close to perfection as you're likely to find.