Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
SAINT ETIENNE
Studio Albums: Foxbase Alpha (1991) | So Tough (1993) | Tiger Bay (1994) | Good Humor (1998) | Sound of Water (2000) | Finisterre (2002) | Tales from Turnpike House (2005) | Words and Music by Saint Etienne (2012) | Home Counties (2017) | Readers’ Poll Results | Reissues
Saint Etienne are one of the best kept secrets in music. The English troika—comprised of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs—emerged at the outset of the 1990s and have flourished in the decades to follow despite being viewed as a cult phenomenon.
Their catalog is rich with various influences that they mix to perfection. Motown-esque hooks, a bit of hip-hop brawn and four-on-the-floor disco hijinks, these sounds (and others) could be located on sets like Good Humor (1998), Finisterre (2002) and Home Counties (2017).
To be clear, those collections are merely the tip of the iceberg with Saint Etienne, their playful sonic approach is what has kept me at rapt attention to their tunes for over fifteen years. But for all of Saint Etienne’s precision, much of their music’s appeal comes from its sense of natural ease. In my 2017 interview with the group, Cracknell remarked about this dynamic, “It's one of those things, we're such fans of melody, such fans of pop. I think we like to get creative with it...we just like experimenting with ideas.”
Quentin’s 3 Favorite Saint Etienne of All Time:
1. Tales from Turnpike House (2005)
2. Tiger Bay (1994)
3. Good Humor (1998)
VISIT Saint Etienne’s Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: