Few artists will get the choice to call time on their work. Most will carry on until the wheels fall off, the money runs out, or the bubble bursts in their niche. Not Saint Etienne. The trio has been plugging away at strong work for more than thirty years, and now is the time to say goodbye. International is it. A worthy end to a band who do not get the credit they deserve as innovators in their time. But it was never about that for the trio. If it were, then they would have caused more noise with their farewell effort, a series of “we told you so” moments which reflect on the band’s always-changing sound. Danceable final moments from a band whose best work has been intermittent, experimental, and often heartfelt. International is a chance for Saint Etienne to work with those they appreciate before it is too late. Now it is, and we can hear what we are about to lose.
Lead single Glad is still the standout moment of International, a gutsy piece which precedes synthpop experimentations on Dancing Heart and The Go Betweens. Nick Heyward doesn’t add too much to the latter song, one which skirts the edge of flimsy synthpop noise. A lighter-than-light sound prevails, and that weightlessness makes for the first of a few forgettable moments on International. Instead, Saint Etienne veers into a pop-adjacent synth style which neither suits them nor breaks them. It’s an extremely light style but a chance for the band to reflect on the oddities of their sound, the occasional breach of some bold, new style. Hearty efforts like Sweet Melodies offer that blur of depth and synth stylings. There is nothing smuggled into International, all of it sounds as genuine as it gets for Saint Etienne. Songs like Sweet Melodies and Take Me to the Pilot hold a sincerity only capable when a band knows the end is in sight. Rare that sound is, because most fizzle out or blow up, it’s a welcome tone.
House momentum can be heard on Save It for a Rainy Day, where repetition reigns. Nice enough work, though nothing outstanding. These are moments where Saint Etienne can play the role of DJ, mixing away with a multitude of sound bites and electronic pointers which, ordinarily, would do little. But as a counter to the heavy-handed emotions of Fade, the string section’s inevitability of a farewell album, it works nicely. Saint Etienne will hardly fade out when their best works are still, rightly, lauded. Confidence Man-featuring Brand New Day is a note of how in touch with modern music Saint Etienne is. They don’t translate that knowledge to the track, but it’s at least a suggestion of the trio wrapping things up before it’s too late to feed off the goodwill of listeners.
Do not mistake the openness of Why Are You Calling for hopes of Saint Etienne returning. “If it’s over, why are you calling me again?” is the unanswerable question. Fans will no doubt want more, but there is slim, if any, chance of that. We must be comfortable with this point of no return. International is a solid end to decades of enduring work. Open-ended experiences like Why Are You Calling are closed off by the dated, piano-led and drum machine-featuring instrumental tones of He’s Gone. Saint Etienne are at once evolving and clawing for nostalgia. International is a lopsided feature as a result, but a thoroughly fun experience with enough highlights to warrant a listen. What the band offers here is the spirited creativity they have always shown, but you can hear, deep down, that it’s the right time to finish.
