Reviews (page 5 of 8)
2/3
Very interesting electronic/early pop album. Unique sound and groovy. Really felt the music coming here, especially from the use of the bass.
Only heard one song from it before. It's nice but other than the big hit I just didn't really pay attention to the rest 2/5
Musica elettronica/ pop molto chill, piaciuto
Ljómandi góðir sprettir, oft bæði töff og áheyrilegt, en mér finnst stundum eins og productionin sé einfaldlega ekki nógu nútímaleg, kannski ósanngjörn krafa, en margt á þessari plötu væri betra remixað. Svo er "She's the one" alltof schizo.
4. wouldve never listened to this otherwise.
alternative dance
Boooo
Better than I'd expected. Kind of catchy, kind of ethereal, good background working music, but probably not an 'active' listen.
2.5
Decent Not sure it should be on the list, But its easy to listen to. Interesting neil young cover. Fairly enjoyable. Standard 3
Nice discovery, a downtempo electronic album that I will listen to again.
Hintergrundmusik, aber gute Hintergrundmusik
Je donne 3 parce que j'aime le style général, le son.. mais cet album en particulier c'est rien de spécial. Ca pourrait être un 2 étoiles mais je vais être smatt
Aussi essentiel que le troisieme extra olive sur ta pizza.
Bon disque pour tenir compagnie aux plantes à la maison quand tu pars en vacances. Surtout si elles sont artificielles. C'est fade.
Pretty solid. I like some of the rare-groove, soul-inspired tunes. Some of the more housey numbers too. And the opening cover version is a bit of a belter. Some of it's a bit too wishy-washy but all in all a rewarding listen.
kon deze niet uitbeluisteren.. begon redelijk met cover van Neil Young... daarna in recordtempo bergafwaarts
This was a pretty relaxing way to start the day. The singles are all highlights, and there are enough of them to balance out the slightly more bland album tracks and keep things interesting. It very nearly gets an extra star for having a Countdown sample.
Not bad. Another background one. But I appreciate its more minimalist, repetitive tendencies.
Skip, skip, skip, DNF.
местами прикольно и напоминает саундтреки из твин пикс это реально занятно, мне понравилось
Really enjoyed this one. Will listen again
Really dreamy and nice with some cool concepts. 4 stars
vähän yksitoikkoista huonolla tavalla, sillattiin että poppiavähän mutta tylsempää joka on parempaa mutta ei tarpeeksi tylsää jok ahuonompaa.. muuten hyvää persu britti kaikuelektronikmusic pitää keksiä joku parempi tapa määritellä tätä musiikkia tommosta kaikubiitti.. biittikaikumusiikkia.. biittikone ja vähän kaikuu vähän distortoinutta vähän semmottiin vähän että kuulostaa pehmeämmältä.. ei ole niin terävää tykitystä vaan semmosta aaltoilevaa... just näin lukekaa pojat tämä review... miten musiikki vaikuttaa, describe how it makes you feel.. ei mitään että iloinen surullinen.. paskahyvä... omg produktio jne jne.. prkl tämä on review!! abstrakteja koskemattomia ajatusmaailmoja PELKÄSTÄÄN!!! (wave music... feels wavy..) stoned to say the least
did-not-listen
Sarah Cracknell was the rightful Holder to the title ‘Come Down Queen’ and not Beth Orton. And Bob Stanley is a brilliant writer. You know, St Etienne are probably the most underrated band of their generation.
Interesting blend of 60s pop and 90s production. I had only heard some of their later 2000s work before now.
It has a certain appeal but not really something I’ll gravitate towards very often.
Enjoyed this far more than I expected. Great vibe. 4/5
Very good. Surprisingly psychedelic, if only mildly so. Low-key electronica with a slight undertone of strangeness.
It's ok, I'm not a Saint Etienne fan and this didn't change my mind at all
A collection of sunny tracks that easily go in one ear, and just as easily out the other. If you don't actively make it a task to focus on it, you'll most likely forget you're even listening to it for like 2/3rds of the duration, right until a particularly catchy hook fades in.
This was pretty good, quite easy listening.
# Album Name: Foxbase Alpha # Artist: Saint Etienne # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Not my cup of tea # Top Tunes: Only love can break your heart # Would I listen to it again? No
I didn't know what to expect going in. I thought this was going to be singer-songwriter, but it turned out to be mellow vocal house. It was pretty enjoyable and a very enjoyable listen. I preferred this slightly over the Everything But The Girl album I had yesterday. 3.5/5
Nice
I think this is the sort of indie pop that people without a real interest in music like. It's nice, it's mannered, it's all pretty dull to my ears. The little voice samples between are amusing on first play, but quicklt get a bit grating.
I did not know them. New delightful discovery. 90s dance music with a touch of the 60’s.
Different. Not bad. Skipped a couple that droned on repetitively.
Quite an interesting album that blends disco-era pop music with electronic and hip hop influences, definitely an album that requires a few more listens to properly digest
This electronics had a human feel to it. I enjoyed it.
I really couldn't get the image of the hip-hop dance class bit from Bob's Burgers out of my head. Rating: 5 Favorite Song: Nothing can stop us
4.5/10 It was perfectly fine. Just didn’t really feel like much was happening here. Favorite Song: Spring
Pop slop
This is ok, I like the dancier ones. Already knew Nothing Can Stop Us which is good, and the Neil Young cover is fun. I zoned out slightly at various points though, the 7min penultimate track was enough to relegate this from 3 to 2
Incredible vocals with some interesting mixes between trip Hop and IDM beats. It starts as a more dance focused record but it gradually gets more and more atmospheric
I’ve never heard of Saint Etienne before, but I’ve seen this album cover on the online checklist, and I’m really curious to see what this album is like. I don’t know why, but this album cover is giving me Sleater-Kinney vibes (I don’t know much about Sleater-Kinney, so I’m not sure why my brain is making the association). I’m excited to fire up this album and see what it’s like! Foxbase Alpha was a really nice surprise. I didn’t fall in love with this album, but there are quite a few gems on it, and it was very enjoyable to listen to. The electronic elements were really interesting and well made, and I thought the vocals were excellent throughout the album. There’s a nice variety of sounds on this album too, but everything still feels really cohesive. It’s kind of a bummer though that two of the best tracks on the American release, “People Get Real” and “Kiss and Make Up” weren’t even on the original UK edition, but even without those songs, this is still a solid and fun album. Saint Etienne know their way around arranging nice melodies, and I’m sure they had a hand in influencing the deluge of electronica music that was about to come pouring out of the UK. Foxbase Alpha is a great album, and I’d be down to revisit it soon.
Typical 90's music, very good really but not that interesting.
Nothing Can Stop Us was nice to listen to. Good vibe throughout, easy to listen to but didn't do a ton for me overall. They know what they're doing and it's an okay album but I wouldn't say this is one needed on the list.
I might have liked this more in my youth. I see this now as a calibration type of album that can test you to help you understand what you like. I don't like this and I'm not sure why it's on the list.
This album is a standout example of UK electronic pop at its best. I played it at home, in the car, and even at work—it’s truly an album for all occasions. It’s a fun, effortless listen, packed with well-chosen samples that add to its charm and energy. The production feels fresh, making it an engaging experience from start to finish. Favorite track: A tough choice, as I loved Girl VII, Nothing can stop us now and Stoned to say the least, but I have to go with Only Love Can Break Your Heart. It’s one of those rare cases where a cover surpasses the original—sorry, Neil Young, but this version is incredible. Least favorite aspect: The album has a few too many short filler tracks, some barely over a minute long, which disrupts the flow for me. Album artwork: A sleek, visually striking cover that perfectly complements the music.
This album was great. Super chill and atmospheric. This is an ideal album to put on while working or cleaning cause it’s super relaxing. It’s not a perfect album. It doesn’t have a lot of variety and sonically it’s very specific and doesn’t deviate from its sound. Also there’s a few skips so not a perfect give unfortunately. I think if it had a little more variety or if it had one really adventurous, out of the box song that really deviated from the norm it n this album it could’ve easily been a five. But I think this album is totally worth your time, and I’ll be on the lookout for this album on vinyl.
Ok
hypnotic and beautiful. wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one, but it was like ear candy. for the duration of the album i felt like i was in a trance.
A pretty interesting mix of genres. The intersection of trip hop with 90s dance music is something I can confidently say I've never heard before. I've always been favourable to trip hop, but I think it's a genre that's very difficult to get wrong but also really hard to get right. 90s dance music is a different story. I can appreciate this kind of music when it's purely an electronic affair, but I think it gets pretty bad when more traditional instruments are thrown into the mix. That piano/keyboard sound which is present throughout this album and common in UK music at the time sounds horrific to me. Talking more broadly about the music itself, the album starts out solid enough, but gets substantially weaker as it piles on 5+ minute song after 5+ minute song. There are a few moments on the album that showcase a creative and effective use of electronic sounds, but these moments are few and far between. Foxbase Alpha was substantially more draining than it needed to be. I listened to this album twice - once with the US bonus tracks and once without. I can't say that the experience was much different other than that I was glad it ended sooner.
Some interesting ideas, and a lot of garbage!
Pretty fun. Surprised a bit at times but no ooohs and ahhhhs. 3.5 goin down.
Not really a fan of dance/electronically but this one was ok. Best was the NY cover.
Not really sure what was going on here but it was too slow for me.
It was just ok for me.
I thought saint Etienne were an indie band for some reason. This was more groove armaday house music. By and large thought this was dull, most songs sounded like a bunch of stock samples thrown together in an obvious way. It went by in the background mostly inoffensively but nothing of interest.
Only Love Can Break Your Heart was decent, but the rest were not notable enough for background music. Strong 1.5.
Knew only love can break your heart. That's been played a lot and I guess stood the test of time.... But it was probably successful because of the Neil Young hook. I suppose I would've known this before the Neil Young version The rest of it isn't bad, but it's definitely nothing special either... Not sure it's list worthy really. I liked the kinda dubby bass on some tracks. Meh. 2.5
This album is a lot of fun, a great little dose of pop mixed with electronic music that still feels pretty fresh. Favorite track: "Nothing Can Stop Us"
Fav song: Like The Swallow Kinda mid, not really a lot that stands out to me and the production sounds dated. Some of the synth sounds are quite nice though.
Throughout the album I kept teetering between 2 and 3, I didn’t hate the album per se, but the rhythms of each song were just so tame and uninteresting. It just wasn’t really pulling me in ‘Nothing can stop us’ was such a breath of fresh air after listening to 7 long minutes of ‘Stoned to say the least’ but everything after that was back to tame and uninteresting At the end I’m sitting at a drowsy 2
I give it 2 stars, one star to shit on and the other star to cover it up.
I really enjoyed this! The part in Girl VII where it says a whole bunch of place names was a highlight, and Nothing Can Stop Us was my favourite track
I felt bored. Nice background music, but most likely won't listen again
somehow felt like they didn’t try very hard
so I’ve slogged through Foxbase Alpha by Saint Etienne, and let me tell you, it’s by far one of the most boring albums I have ever heard. I was already done by the halfway mark, and honestly, there’s little here that managed to grab my interest. To be fair, I can’t say there aren’t any redeeming bits. The production is clean and, in some parts, the electronic textures and ambient synths hint at a potential for atmospheric brilliance. There are moments where the underlying beat is solid, and the overall mix is technically competent. It’s clear the band had a vision for a chilled-out vibe, and there’s a subdued elegance in the arrangement. But that’s where the positives end. The vocals throughout the album are utterly uninspiring and bland—there’s no spark or charisma to be found. They’re delivered in such a monotone manner that they do nothing to elevate the otherwise sterile instrumentation. The melodies feel repetitive, and the lack of dynamic variation means I found myself zoning out, especially after the first half. The whole thing just drags on without any real emotional or musical payoff. The songwriting fails to engage me; the tracks meander with little to no development, leaving me wishing the record would simply end. Despite its polished production, Foxbase Alpha comes off as a tepid, unadventurous exercise that neither excites nor challenges me. Foxbase Alpha is a major miss. Despite a few technically solid moments in the production, the uninspired vocals and overall boring execution mean that it just fails to engage me on any level. A dismal 1/5 stars, it’s an album I’d happily forget in a heartbeat.
*Shake It Bake It Booty Quake It ends* No!
I listened to this on stream today right after health, it was quite the tone shift. This album feels like something that will hit me in like four years but now it's like whatever and i kinda wish it had any bop in it. Someone did a bopectomy on it and it's so almost there constantly. Hi eric! I'm looking at you. Through.. window
Smooth, but I'd rather be listening to the Grammy Award-winning 1999 hit 'Smooth' by Santana feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty off the multi-platinum album Supernatural
6/10 Foxbase Alpha by Saint Etienne is a landmark UK Dance Pop album
In the first 10 minutes of any Saint Etienne album I convince myself I’m going to like it. But I never really do.
Liked this in parts, but was pretty disappointed overall.
Nice background music. I may check out more of their stuff.
After the first two tracks, I'm thinking this is going to be a hot mess. By the end of track five I'm starting to dig the groove at least. By about track eight I'm ready for this to start wrapping up... and then it just keeps going... and going... for 30 more minutes. It's a decent vibe overall though; three stars.
Oh man what a treat hearing this again, this has two extremely memorable songs from this time period - only love can break your heart and nothing can stop us. Really enjoyed this trip.
I suppose I don’t mind what they did to Neil Young’s song, nor do I really mind the radio broadcast intro, but it must get better after that. It must get more interesting, original, unique, and exciting, yet this album does no such thing. It immediately hits its highest note (not that great a cover, honestly) and it’s all downhill from there. “Wilson” is a repetitively annoying song. Stop asking him if he’d like some goddamned sweets, he is CLEARLY not interested. “Carnt Sleep” is fine. “Girl VII” failed to interest me. “Spring” is the most fun the album gets, which is an insult. I won’t continue to go through what I think of each song because I can only imagine how exhausting it would be for someone to read, but you must know it is exhausting for me to have to think about. The whole thing is pretentious. Not for me, but not wholly terrible. 3/5
Only love...
An alright album, I liked She's The One and Stoned To Say The Least the most.
Meh, peak meh. It's not even essential for the year it was released, let alone 1001 albums before you die. Yet it is here because it is another album you are supposed to like. I must be honest, most electronic music does nothing for me. I will sub an album from a genre that gets no love with this poppy list and I suggest you do as well...Death - Human.
This was an album that flew by - negative and positive
Oké. Beetje Hooverphonic achtig. Klinkt best wel goed eigenlijk. Ook iets voor op de achtergrond. 3.4
Лондон. Начало девяностых. Воздух дрожит от модных электронных битов, улицы пропитаны эхом рейвов и хаус-вечеринок. Но в узких переулках старого города, нет-нет, да всё ещё можно уловить призрак ушедших солнечных дней — виниловых хитов и юности, что казалась вечной. «Foxbase Alpha» — как раз и проложил такой мостик между психоделической мечтательностью прошлого и механическим пульсом будущего. Saint Etienne смешивают несмешиваемое: сладкий, лёгкий поп 60-х, будто звенящий от наивных грёз, и прохладные клубные ритмы 90-х, где уже нет места иллюзиям, но есть безупречная стилистика. Гулкие реверберации, ленивые синтезаторы, виниловые потрескивания — всё это создаёт ощущение, что ты едешь в ночном автобусе, глядя в мутное стекло, а за ним проносятся неоновые вывески и лица, растворённые во тьме. Альбом слушается и ощущается очень легко — словно скользит по прозрачному чистому льду. Лёгкий, воздушный, но при этом — с едва уловимой горчинкой ностальгии.
Video game club music. Stand-out: Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Ok I didn’t know this would slap Favs Only love can break your heart Girl VII She’s the one Nothing can stop us
Standout track: Girl VII (4/5)
I didn’t care for the breathy/echo-y 90s style vocals, but the music was super groovy.
I had never heard of this album but it’s great! The dance/house elements combined with the 60s influences make for a very interesting and enjoyable trip-hoppy album. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a great cover, Girl VII is super catchy and I liked the bass in People Get Real. The instrumentals Stoned to Say the Least and Like the Swallow stayed interesting all the way through, but Nothing Can Stop Us is probably my favourite song on here.
Beautiful slice of the 90s
Not quite
Mixtures of pop with dance - Very nice instrumentals - Nothing Can Stop Us is standout track - Vocals can be quite repetitive, some tracks are boring
I don't do enough drugs to like this type of music. This one is particularly frustrating for me, because I enjoyed ~1 minute of a lot of these songs, then they'd repeat themselves over and over until I no longer liked what I previously had been enjoying.
"Girl VII" is one of my favourite songs ever, so I might be a little bit biased. That track is a haunting eulogy to a life that never was. The rest of the album is great, too, a precursor to both Britpop and house, but also existing in its own time and space, somewhere between Ealing comedies and the swinging sixties.
Sleepy beats.. had that French sample/breakbeat electronica that I appreciate. My favorite was "Nothing can stop us"
Nothing notable.
This is an old fave. I’ve listened to it loads. I love the aesthetic and it’s so well put togethrrr. Sarah’s voice isn’t great but it really works with what they do. Doesn’t quite make a 5 for me though
Wasn’t really into it. Sorta boring.
Okay- the more popular tracks are good "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", "Spring", and "Nothing Can Stop Us". But the rest of the album is kind of boring, especially the instrumental tracks. "Stoned to Say the Least" sounds like a free Garageband backing track.
Boring - so repetitive
Boring when it was released now it's dated and bieing
Chill and a blast from the past
Alt tanssimusiikkia, eli taas tämmöistä looppaavaa settiä. Tässä on kyllä enemmän vokaalia niin ei oo ihan triphoppia, mutta vähän. Parhaat: Stoned to Say at Least, Nothing Can Stop Us
Was kinda cool. Great background music for working. Some reggaeness to it and I was really curious about the genre. What IS it?
Nice one!
wild mixture of styles. Nice for elevators or shopping malls
straight back to the nineties. Love her voice and the spirt of the tunes
Dull
There is just wayyyyy too much going on here. Strange album, didn't enjoy it much. Felt like genre whiplash. If she had stuck with one of the genres it might have turned out great.
Fantastic grooves mixed in with some ok background music. Nothing can stop us is a jam
01) This Is Radio Etienne - / 02) Only Love Can Break Your Heart - 10,0 03) Wilson - 7,0 04) Carnt Sleep - 7,5 05) Girl VII - 7,5 06) Spring - 7,5 07) She's the One - 7,5 08) People Get Real - 7,5 09) Stoned to Say the Least - 7,5 10) Nothing Can Stop Us - 8,0 11) Etienne Gonna Die - / 12) London Belongs to Me - 7,5 13) Kiss And Make Up - 8,0 14) Like the Swallow - 7,0 15) Dilworth's Theme - / TOTAL: 7,71 (77/100) Current ranking: 181/429
Not bad, not my cup of tea, but not bad
Enjoyed the vibes but it was a bit too repetitive and lasted too long to score higher.
The music was suitable for background listening while working, but it wasn't engaging enough to capture my full attention.
The beginning really annoyed me. Thought I was going to hate it. Warmed a bit to it with Nothing Can Stop Us but not enough
Dreamy pop, beautiful album!
I don’t think I’d come access St Etienne before today. It felt ever so vaguely familiar, but in a way that a lot of pop music does. No tracks made me think I’d heard it before. Anyway, this sounded pretty fun. There was nothing that blew my mind, but it did make for a decent list while I was working away. Probably not going to be one that sticks around in my memory, but I certainly didn’t dislike it by any means. It’s just fun poppy synth dancy music!
Not bad at all! This works mainly as background music, but there's no shame in that. The grooves are immaculate, and I'm a fan of the airy distant vocals. Standouts: She's the One, Nothing Can Stop Us, London Belongs to Me
Oh, to live in early 90s England, where this type of music is all the rave in the Dance clubs...so glad I I didn't. I get what this band is trying to do, and in some ways they're like an early version of Chainsmokers, but it's just a lot of samples, covers, experiments, and slow jams. I'll have to check out some of their newest stuff to see how they've evolved, but even their hit song from the album doesn't do much for me.
Never heard of the band so I went into this not knowing what to expect. Wikipedia had the album listed as alternate dance, so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. The singer has a unique voice and the music felt almost ethereal at times. They almost lost me at the first 7 minute (mostly instrumental) track ... Does any album really need two 7 minute long (again, mostly instrumental and repetitive) tracks?? Idk but I liked the second one better than the first for sure. Overall it was a great album
Definitely groovy at times
obviously it has a banger on here which automatically made me happy and nostalgic to listen to. I also love the name ‘Saint’ and ‘Etienne’. it is actually an ok album to have on in the background and also most of the songs work to be on a movie soundtrack - it’s cool, it’s nostalgic, i like the samples and adlibs and beats, i can see why it’s on here.
It was nice, I guess.
Makes me feel kind of eurotrashy...I like it
This is fine. Not really my favorite style of music but the album as a whole is pretty decent.
Dance music is so close to being my thing EVERY time. But it always peters off into a repetitive bore. That Neil Young cover is crazy though.
Chill vibes to get the tube to
Oddly enough, I find that the song most played on Spotify, their "big hit", the cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", is the worst song on the album Look, covers are hard. If you do it exactly like the original, what was the point in doing it? I will give them credit that they changed the feel of the song, but it just... doesn't feel right. It's like using vanilla flavored almond milk to thin out mashed potatoes. Sure, in theory it works, it's milk, but... it just doesn't taste right. The other songs were decent, and at least they were short...ish. The vocalist is very light and airy, but the songs are the same way, so there you go. NEXT. Top tracks: "People Get Real," "London Belongs To Me"
The remake of Only Love Can Break Your Heart reminded me of The Cardigans, and a bit of C&C Music Factory by the end of the song with its more over the top synth. I didn't mind Moira Lambert's guest vocals on the track, but the rest of the song was not great. And then the next track - Wilson. No Willie would not like some sweets! Sooooo annoying. That was the start of me skipping through parts of the annoying songs or interludes. I also like Sarah Cracknell's vocals so I wish there was more of that with beats that played into it (like on Carnt Sleep, and Kiss and Make Up) rather than overpowering or excessive beats and muted/distorted/talking Cracknell (like on Girl VII or Nothing Can Stop Us). Overall, I wasn't a fan of this sound. Nominated for a Mercury Prize eh? The Brits are so weird sometimes.
Wow, what a lame album. The only reason I'm not giving it a 1 is because it was inoffensive - there was nothing bad about listening in the background, but damn this is some soulless dance music. How can you take a song as great as "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and make it boring?? Tracks that were ok: Spring, Stoned to Say the Least, Like the Swallow.
Loved. Very 70s and totally a gem.
I wanted to like this, as dance is usually I genre I love, but it felt repetitive in a very inorganic way and bored the heck out of me. I also was not a fan of Sarah Cracknell's vocal style. Way too breathy for me. The only track of theirs I truly enjoy is “Like a Motorway” from their 3rd album.
Definitely not like anything I listen to regularly, but I liked it.
2/5
2.5
Enjoyable. I'm a bit annoyed I missed this at the time - I was hearing good things about them, but never made time to invest, emotionally or otherwise. I like the vibe very much.
I enjoyed this more than I thought. Funny side story. I always confused this for a Camera Obscura record. Just kinda had a look that felt that way to me. When I hit the end Spotify autoplay rolled into a Camera Obscura song.
All sounds the same. Too long.
This album was great. Do I think that it is one of the 1001 albums that I must listen to before I died? Yes. It was a great album.
music has never made me this angry. hated it viscerally
The kind of music I’d Shazam in a bar while I’m really stoned, but then Shazam another song afterwards and not know how to find my history to see this song again. I played this album while in a 110° steam-room shower in Chicago smoking herb and it was ethereal.
holy fuck talk about repetition within the songs. If I hear “WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SWEETS WILLIE” one more time in my life I will scream. Knowing nothing about the history of this album or artist, it feels like this lady was really good at making fun 30 second songs and then repeated the hell out of them to fit the benchmark for song length. RIP saint etienne, you would’ve loved TikTok music culture. (Just googled, they’re still alive, but keeping my comment bc it’s a meme format). My review is gonna end here bc I feel like the music isn’t bad it’s just too repetitive even for elevator music. Any further bashing would be too rude and only anger-based due to the repetition. Oh did I mention it’s too repetitive or am I repeating myself? SEE HOW IT FEELS This could’ve been a 3 or a 4 but it’s a 2/5 for me.
Okay 2.5
Very 90s dance music that makes me want to relax and sleep more than dance. I can see why some people might like this but it's not for me
Smooth, beats, nice for a relaxed day
Fun and poppy. It’s very 90s but they did some interesting things on the album and I think they married straight electronica with classic pop pretty effectively. Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Stoned to Say the Least, and Like the Swallow are standouts for me. But an honorable mention to Wilson for being batshit.
Favorite tracks: She's The One, London Belongs To Me This is probably a 3.5, but I'm bumping it to 4 stars because I vibed so well with it today - Christmas Eve, chilling out, drinking coffee and working on a jigsaw puzzle. Heck yeah.
Alright. Not keen on vocals
Foxbase Alpha is very chill and this is a good thing. Liked Songs Added: Spring Nothing Can Stop Us
Had me going “huh?” then “huh!” then “hmmm…” But at the end of the day, Spring and Nothing Can Stop Us are bona fide bops!
Really enjoyable album by a group I had never heard of. Very rhythmic, I liked the fast tempos combined with the softer, usually slower singing. The skits were interesting as well. Favorites: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Nothing Can Stop Us Least Favorite: Kiss and Make Up
It's boring, repetitive, and drags on. The lead singer sounds like she has a good voice, but its wasted on these terrible songs. To enjoy this album, you'd have to be stoned, to say the least. Took me several days to get through, and now I have a backlog of like 5 albums. Best song: Carnt Sleep
Entirely too long. Wasn’t horrible but not good.
Before I read these reviews, I had pegged this album as background shopping music. Apparently, I am not alone in this theory. However, I actually didn't mind this.
I wasn't convinced at first. Ended up being pretty vibey
прик почему то у меня уже были 2 альбома добавленны и так…. чисто прик
This was ok, made for fun background sound, but nothing I needed to listen to before dying. Went harder on the first half. 3*
i love this a lot
i really really fuck with this album, i like the genre-bending sound a lot. Will definitely listen to more of her at a later date
Only Love Can Break Your Heart //
Only love can break your heart
Do you like pop music? If you do then this album is for you. This album is decent, the lyrics of the songs are also decent, the beats are pretty good, the album cover sucks. But over all the album aint bad, I would recommend it
this is a ok album. Its lyrics were good but not exaclty amazing, and its music wasnt the best. Overall it is a decent album.
This album was ok. Do I think that it is one of the 1001 albums that I must listen to before I died? No. It was an ok album.
They have a beautiful voice, I did not expect this from the cover album. I had totally expected a song that gave off soft vibes or calmed down, I didn't expect hip-hop-like songs to come out of this album especially the first one. The next few songs are calm which I do like because it suits her voice. It sounds like you were in a dream and this is your background voice. I don't like this album though
This album is boring. The singer has too soft of a voice for this album. The instruments are ok, but I can't hear her voice. The lyrics to me are just plain horrible. They do not go with her voice. This is the worst album I've ever heard. I recommend that you do NOT listen to this album.
...No. Why? Just...no. I do NOT like this album. I don't like the singer's voice, I don't like the lyrics to the songs, and I don't even like the background music. I just do NOT like this album, and I do NOT recommend this album.
I think this album is kind of bad. The beat of it was okay but the lyrics and how they were sung weren't great. 1/5
3.1
General impression: now this is some good pop. Detailed review: This strikes me as landing somewhere between Beck and Air. It’s mostly breezy dance-pop, with a sort of minimalist bent, and samples of dialogue and spoken-word adding to a collage-like feel. It’s right up my alley for pop, and I’m definitely interested in diving into their whole discography. Also, it’s really cool that I got this album assigned just a few days before they release a new album. Deeper thoughts (context): They must be underrated. In my world, they’d have become a bigger influence on other musicians. Score: 4.3 Number of albums left to review: 930 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 42 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 29
2.5
Saint Etienne - Foxbase Alpha.. Music like this can go either way with me.. But in small doses, absolutely love this kind of stuff. Across a full album it wears on me a bit... I did omit the two tracks added for the US version so it was a bit shorter than it's hour run time I'm going with (7.3) ★★★½
Pretty much everything I hate in music, but one cool song. 1.5 stars
"Wilson" was my favorite "song". I just found most of it really boring with the stock beats and piano stabs. Maybe it didn't sound so boring in 1991, but I feel like at least the Pet Shop Boys had worn out this sound by then. 1.5 stars
2.5
Nice breezy indie clubland listen that has two absolutely groovalicious choice cuts with the acid house cover of Only Love Can Break Your Heart and the resplendent pop euphoria of Nothing Can Stop Us Now. Plus also some more slender beautiful highlights with Spring and London Belongs To Me Now and the female vocals throughout the album tend to be pretty delish. It’s a bit fragmented by frequent TV and movie snippets as well as sudden bursts of ambient and the weaker tracks do feel a little too random and sketchy. Either a strong 3.5 or a low 4.0.
C'est mid de chez mid, j'ai rien à dire tellement que c'est mid rahhlala
I liked the chiller stuff better than the "clubby" stuff. Good but a bit too long, no reason some of these songs are seven minutes long.
Chill AF
It was very delightful
This was new to me, although I have heard other St Etienne songs. Pleasant enough, a blend of ethereal chill and house music, amen breaks, piano riffs and samples. There’s a nice version of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”. I’d listen again but it won’t be on regular rotation.
näitä on pökäleittäin... Muutamat biist upeita.... Toisissa kurakone käynnissä..
I love Air and Stereolab, so this kind of worked for me, but not as well as either of those two bands. This feels a little more sterile, or calculated, and less organic, but it was still enjoyable.
Think of a song name, repeat it over and over again, put in some basic tunes and boom this album.
Hm. It's not bad per se, but unclear why it is on this list. Probably need to educate myself. The lady singing tracks are the strongest and the willie wonka one gets very annoying.
notable for its unevenness at least, lots of catchy groovy moments but also many grating repetitive moments
Interesting without being overly repetitive. Good production.
Not really my type of music, but i enjoyed the album!
Light, dreamy, well-crafted album somewhere on the edge between dance and indie pop. Not what I would naturally seek out, but a great piece of work. Best song: Nothing Can Stop Us
fucka ikke helt med
Listened Before? N This took several songs to grow on me, but in the end I really enjoyed it enough to go back and revisit a few songs immediately. Feels very 90s, and that's a very good thing. Trip-hop is what they called this style I think and it's pretty groovy. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: She's the One, Only Love Can Break Your Heart
It was okay.
So many vibes on this project, I’m not sure how I feel about it. But it captured my attention enough to keep me listening for an hour so I’m thinking that’s positive. Definitely will have to run this one back because I’m truly perplexed by it.
78% Best: Only Love Can Break Your Heart; Girl VII; Spring; She's the One Must-Hear? Not quite
Un estilo distinto a lo que estoy acostumbrado, de a ratos un poco experimental.
genre tags on rym look very me-core it is very me-core. excellent blend old pop and breakbeats / house. i really like this album. Like a less french dots and loops by stereolab (idk what that means it just reminds me of that album for whatever reason)
WOuLd yOu liKe sOMe SweEtS WiLLy?
Ah it's lovely
Not that great outside of the one cover song
I liked it, had a nice background music vibe good originals that probably turned into samples. Maybe I don’t know but oh good listen
Sweet indie pop classic. That Neil Young cover though.
What a surprise! It was so good! This album is awesome!
A fun listen, best song comes right at the start which is always a little annoying though.
Bummer, by the description I thought I would like this a lot more! A lot of songs felt really repetitive and her voice got annoying.
Really enjoyed this. Very relaxed feel mostly. Tailed off towards the back end of the album.
Terrible day to hear this on. I might not be giving it a fair shot but it is what it is.
waiting room music - and not awesome like Fugazi couldn't get into it
I will not get myself manipulated. Again the creator of the list bashes me with the trippy British DJs. This time it was more subtle. Some songs weren't even as shit as expected. Still not worth a listen.
I knew of this group but hadn't listened to them much. This album is pretty good! I liked it.
Maybe I’m dumb, but I don’t get any 60s vibes from this. It’s just 90s dance music to me.
Not objectionable; definitely not essential.
Feelin very indie
Solid
Dance pop. Intéressant mais pas mon style de prédilection
she has a sexy voice
It was fine i guess, wouldn't listen again
Definitely not my thing
You can’t open with a terrible cover of Neil Young and expect me to like the rest of your album
This was interesting and will listen again with a sober head
Deeply 90s.
What a great album. Loved it
For me this album kept swinging between interesting, quirky fun and outright annoying. Do I think that this is an album that you need to listen to before you die? No I really don't.
very chill
my first impression of this band is that they have a very interesting composition and that sarah cracknell has a beautiful voice. while some songs, such as wilson, weren’t my jam, i found the way layering they vocals and instruments, yet still keep the music sounding simple and calm very interesting. honestly reminded me of something they’d play in that cool underground bar that my dad takes me to. loved this album.
I knew exactly what it would sound like by the album cover.
According to wikipedia, the debut album from Saint Etienne drew on a love for club culture and 1960s pop samples, which is evident in the recording. The repetitive hooks and sampling make for a groovy and fun sound that builds enjoyment instead of getting old.
J'avais des grosses attentes avec comment la première chanson partait. Par la suite j'ai reconnu que c'était une reprise de Neil Young, mais au moins elle était bonne. Puis ensuite j'ai réalisé que c'était la seule bonne chanson de l'album. Vraiment ennuyant, répétitif et monotone. J'imagine il faut faire partir de la scène house indie anglaise pour comprendre. Un autre album que je soupçonne un gros biais UK. 4/10
Kinda chill British house dance music. It’s fine but I doubt I’ll ever think of it again apart from the band being named after my favorite French football team.
# Playlist Track - People Get Real # Notes - Ended up listening to the whole thing a bunch of times in the past few days. It's definitely an *intriguing* album. Not an excellent one, but intriguing, for sure. - I did enjoy some of the tracks, but was frequently distracted by weird interruptions.
A cool and very 90s album. Lots of enjoyable electronica, which strays in to acid house and techno at times. Some of the tracks are a bit experimental for my tastes, and I don't think there is enough vocal work, which is a shame as it's often the highlight of the album. It's a very brave debut album, and would have been pretty groundbreaking in the early 90s I think. Highlights: Only Love Can Break Your Heart Girl VII Stoned To Say The Least
I enjoyed the album more aesthetically than anything, it has a good mix of genres and themes I enjoy, ranging from ambient to synthpop to house, but doesn't really excel in any of these. The album wasn't bad at all though, some tracks did stand out (like Only Love Can Break Your Heart), and I usually do enjoy film samples in albums, which added to the bubbly quirky feel of the album.
Teach these people what melody is
I like this better now. The hits still hit. 4/5
Blind album and artist. Middle of the road. Not great but not bad. Probably wouldn't listen to it again if I had choices, but smooth listening all around
Interesting, different French nostalgia vibe
I bet Neil young hates this shit
27/09/24 Did not appeal to me.
😴
Easy listening Indie Pop with a faible for the 60's.
90’s UK Club music? Not bad. Interesting to listen too from a list perspective but nothing to write home about.
Feel like I've seen this one before, but haven't heard or heard of it. Fairly unassuming indie rock type of album, but a good few on here that were really interesting. Better than the usual fare. Favorite tracks: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Girl VII, Stoned to Say the Least, Like the Swallow. Album art: A woman holding up the name of the album on a picket sign. Good border going on, solid cover. 3.5/5
4 stars just cause the second track is so fuckin bangin
Winnipeg? Not my style. I'm not always against dance music but I usually am. Too repetitive, too simplistic. Too easy listening, if that makes sense.
interesting album of rock with electronic influence
It was ok, a few good tracks here and there. Most of the songs were meh.
nice background music for when you go on a walk in the woods when it’s sunny
Catchy songs with an upbeat groove, but some of the sample interludes are a little to long and repetitive ("would you like some sweets willy?"), but overall sounds exactly like what I remember from early 90s dub and house music. Sarah Cracknell's vocals are soft and sweet and offer a nice break from the otherwise over repetitiveness of the album. I don't feel like this is required material, even if it may have been influential on the genre, it doesn't do much to excite me
This album bored me to tears. A whole HOUR of trance bs. I could barely differentiate between tracks, and if I wasn’t listening to this at work it might’ve put me to sleep. 1/5
“The album was recorded in a style which drew on the club culture and house music of the time, but also incorporates the group's characteristic love of 1960s pop, with tracks also bridged by samples from films or by short songs.” Sounds terrible. Is terrible.
Nah
Ethereal, light house music. Inoffensive enough, but does get a little boring. Favorite tracks: "Stoned To Say the Least"
Thought they would be French, very English, I liked the sort of early house electronic vibes, thought it was very chill and nice easy listening
It’s a 70s disco album. Thought it might be French but it was not.
Such a forgettable album, I’m not sure if I actually listened to it or not.
I like the Lemon Jellyish vibes on some tracks. A lot of it sounds very dated now though.
Actively annoying
Maybe OK to work to because it has no emotion
Didn't hate this, but also found it kinda boring.
fun ! but at some point it all blends together.
So quirky, joyful and upbeat, such intelligent use of the most obscure samples.
норм, но кроме французских интерлюдий ничего не отложилось
20240905 Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha 3.5/5 Now this is an “old sounding” album that I can get around (knowing that it is a 90’s album, but it has aged quite a bit). This electro pop album sounds exactly like its time, similar to other artists like Portishead or Massive Attack; and on the trend of sample-driven music, probably influencing other bands like The Avalanches. I’m a big fan of these musicians, so that is a big start for liking Saint Etienne’s record. Despite its aged production and other flaws like too long songs, I have enjoyed it quite a bit. Favourite songs: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Spring, She's the One. Least favourite songs: Carnt Sleep, Stoned to Say the Least, Like the Swallow.
Not very memorable nor interesting
A bit less boring
Fine, not very memorable
Easy listen electronica. Experimental at times. Some of the tracks I would have preferred as instrumental even though her voice is pleasant.
This album starts off as Corporate Jazz and then at some point became Stardew Valley and then became Omen Synth? None of these are real genres but also none of them should be on the same album
Very different! Really enjoyed this one.
Day237 - the sounds of early nineties electo dance are kinda fun. only love can break your heart is good
Weird one as I quite liked this kinds house meets 60s vibe, but I've not a clue why it's "essential" and on this list. It's going to be a 3 because it does drag towards the end
If “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” had a big moment in the U.S. I was too young for it. It’s really a great tune. And the rest of the album was pretty enjoyable, definitely chill, super chill. Are they Scottish? I should listen to this again.
3.5
Tentativa forçada de distribuir alegria. Seria nota zero pela versão da música do Neil Young.
Bueno
I liked a couple of songs but wouldn’t listen again
Quite gentle! 3.5 really!
i've tried to listen to this album exactly twice in my life now and each time, it's a big yawn
Band reminds me a lot of Belle and Sebastian. Could do worse. A think a little bit goes a long way but I liked it.
No thanks
65 degrees in NYC with the windows open and a cold brew, this is album couldn't sound better than it does right now
Enjoyed more than I expected to, elements of Brit pop and trip hop throughout this one. Fun
Only Love Can Save Your Heart is a great cover.
I really enjoyed the ambient sound of this album. I feel like I could hear the first inklings of the tropes and techniques that are fundamental to later genres like lo-fi and hauntology
Weird... slow... sad...
Its vibe-ee
Dreamy. Love it.
I respect the thematic thread beginning from the intro to the album. I’m not typically invested in albums like this one but I did like the quirkiness paired with the mellow vibe. It surprised me and I would listen again.
oo
fab summer vibes
It's an okay album. Music to scratch your itchy feet by.
Pleasantly surprised by the album, it released in 1992 but it could've been released last year. Every track is perfectly chill, very listenable (not super memorable though).
Incredibly bland. The kinda songs that play 10 minutes into the credits of a movie nobody saw. What a drag
Not sure what these guys were trying to accomplish, but they failed.
Parts were okay, parts were weird, nothing special either way
Pretty enjoyable album. I really liked the mellow vocals. I would probably check out the rest of their catalog.
pretty decent listen. 3.5