Saint Etienne - Travel Edition 1990-2005

To restrict a review of any Saint Etienne record, much less a "greatest hits" record, to simply commenting on the music is a pretty difficult task given all of the tangents by which one could become distracted. But in the interest of not getting bogged down in details, that's the plan I'm going with. Suffice to say, the veteran indie pop trio of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs has just released the perfect little disc for the novice listener, Travel Edition 1990-2005. Travel Edition contains 18 songs from the band spanning their career since they signed with indie label Heavenly in 1990. The disc starts out with a beautifully melancholy instrumental, “Primrose Hill,” which was previously only available in another incarnation on a fanclub disc from 2002, and moves into more familiar 90s territory with a bouncy remake of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (circa 1990). The rest of the album follows chronological order until it backtracks slightly with the closing song, “Finisterre” (2000). Since this song in particular seems autobiographical, it makes sense to end on a personal note for a band who have some of the most devoted fans I’ve ever known. It’s interesting to listen to the progression of the music and to note that, despite a few tempo changes and instrument shifts, the flavor of the music holds steady throughout. Later songs, like the epic “How We Used To Live” (2000) are sweeping and broader in beat choices, but earlier songs, like “Nothing Can Stop Us” (1991) have that recognizably 90s sound. They probably just missed being radio pop in the States in the early years, but so much the better for their integrity. My personal favorite on the album is "Lose That Girl." It's got the kind of driving rhythm that you can see yourself speeding down the highway to. For those of you who are already fans of Saint Etienne, you probably have most of these songs, and the only reason to pick up Travel Edition would be the convenience of having some of their hits on the same disc and to pick up the two new tracks, "Primrose Hill" and "Fascination." And it's for sure that fans of the group will argue over which songs were included and which ones were omitted. But when it comes down to it, I would say that this album, like most “greatest hits” collections, is really for someone who has heard a song or two, liked it and wants to know more or for someone whose friends go on lovingly about them so that you wonder what all the fuss is about. What it boils down to for the purposes of this review is simply: If you’re a fan of dancy pop, beautiful melodies, dreamy vocals and introspective lyrics, Travel Edition really should be in your collection. Just trust me on this one. [www.saintetienne.com]