Editorial Reviews After...
Finisterre
Music Review:
Music Review
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Amazon.com
Finisterre is St Etienne's sixth album and their first since 2000's Sound of Water. The internationally acclaimed outfit once again retain their emphasis on writing catchy pop tunes, as heard on the CD's lead-off track, "Action." Delving into hip-hop, folkish melodies, and house, the team are as diverse as ever and have enlisted some intriguing collaborators to marginal effect for this latest outing. There's an appearance from Doves guitarist Jez Williams, and one track features female MC Wildflower, which doesn't fare so well since the feisty young rapper sounds too raw for the flowery backing track. Similarly, it might have looked good on paper to use the voice of actor Michael Jayston--and it has probably served them well for live shows--but his vocals on the album (used as links between tracks) don't add anything of substance. Punk "guru" Mark Perry was enlisted for the sleeve notes. Maybe these will offer a little more heart and soul to the proceedings, because musically, Finisterre falls flat, yet another example of St Etienne's seemingly eternal addiction to tepid sounds. --Paul Sullivan
From URB Magazine
Ever since they sashayed onto discerning dance floors in 1991 with their landmark dub-house debut album, Foxbase Alpha, cinematically inclined Saint Etienne have been dogged by dubious criticisms of being too clever for their own good, too cool to break a real sweat, forever wearing their candy-coated hearts too prominently on their chic sleeves. Fortunately, that has not stopped them from cranking out a decade's worth of catchy, well-crafted tunes that revel in their pop pedigree.
Album Description
Finisterre is the sixth studio album for West London retro-futurists Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs. It builds on the chilled electronica of their previous album, 2000's Sound Of Water. 12 tracks. Mo Wax. 2002.