| London's METRO freebie Monday 7th October 2002. Review by Arwa Haider. 'Have you ever been to a harvester before?' These are the first words on Saint Etienne's new album, uttered in the fatherly voiceover of actor Micheal Jayston. Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs, and Sarah Cracknell might be all grown-up - and two 'best of' compilations have preceeded this new album - but Finisterre proves they've never relinquished the memory of the pop charts or the discotheque. It won't convert listeners whov'e previously found the band's work twee but this is some of Saint Etienne's sharpest material; Cracknell's honeyed, breathy vocals imbue the sweet pop of Soft Like Me (also featuring rapper Wildflower), disco stomper Shower Scene and electro-retro number New-Thing, building up to a dreamy conclusion. 3 out of 5 (good) |