I've been an avid fan of Saint Etienne since the mid-90s and I am pretty impressed with the consistent quality of their work. Granted, this far they have only released 'Heather', but if the album is like the single, it's gonna be a banger! Very much reminiscent of the 'Finisterre' era. UPDATE: I received a pre-release of this album and it's twice as good as I thought it would be. There are still the brief snippets of funny radio chatter (Popmaster and Sports Report), but in my mind at this point these are the standouts of the album: Magpie Eyes, Whyteleafe (which also contains a wonderful harpsichord intro), After Hebden, and What kind of World. A genuine return to the greatness of Saint Etienne.

Could anything surpass the brilliance of Words & Music? Hard to imagine...but this has me more than intrigued...seems darker, 'harder' in relative terms...but no less addictive. More, please!