So fickle is the world of pop. Or maybe it’s me. Two short weeks ago, I virtually hailed Lily Allen’s recent chart topper The Fear as the best track of 2009 so far, all the time knowing that my actual favourite song of the year was to hit the shelves today. Regular readers will know of my fondness for London-based Saint Etienne, so it’s no surprise that I’m greatly anticipating their latest offering, Method of Modern Love. I have been making do with a 30-second clip pilfered from Popjustice since December after all.
The electro-popsters’ releases aren’t prolific, the most recent single being Burnt Out Car, last September. So, when something new hits the online and download shops, it’s big news for their fans. Such was the case for MoML, which has been released on two CDs and old school collectable 7â€? vinyl. Why such big news? Limited to 1500 copies of each format, 500 versions of every physical release have been signed by a member of the band.
Available from the Et’s online record store, it was, typically and predictably, pandemonium on the day of the track’s release for ordering. The website crashed and pages were lost, as eager buyers tried to secure hand numbered copies signed by Sarah, Bob, and Pete. Limiting the pressings to 1,500 of each format was bad enough, but through perseverance and luck, we managed to get a set. However, whether or not it will be one of the signed sets remains to be seen. Fingers crossed.
Is the song worthy of such huge demand? The emphatic answer is yes. A perfect slice of Noughties electronica, a bouncy, galloping bassline with layered synths backs up Sarah Cracknell’s smooth, soft, and silky vocals, which form around a very catchy chorus. I thought Burnt Out Car was one the band’s forgotten gems (the track originally dates from 1995), and the new version one of the musical highlights of 2008. But this ranks with their classic stuff from the early 1990s, and is quite possibly the best thing they’ve ever done.
Backed with This is Tomorrow, from the film with the same name about the Royal Festival Hall, MoML sums up Saint Etienne to a tee. The threesome have been recording the best shiny, sunny pop for over 18 years now, and have rarely disappointed. A somewhat farce to get hold of by the method of madness through which it was sold, yes, but MoML is a modern Saint Etienne classic, and a fitting addition to the band’s timeless and melodic back catalogue, which I’m looking forward to exploring again when London Conversations, Saint Etienne’s latest greatest hits album, finally hits the digital and physical record store shelves next week.
Tags: Music, Saint Etienne