Interlude

1	Roseneck 3:25
2	Northwestern 5:29
3	Queen of Polythene 3:13
4	Stevie 3:04
5	Red Setter 3:45
6	Shoot out the Lights 4:08
7	Mountain Rain 3:42
8	Bar Conscience 4:36
9	Le Ballade de Saint Etienne 3:55
10	Thank You 4:34
11	Boy Is Crying 3:39
12	Lose That Girl 10:46
13	Boy Is Crying Bonus Track / Single Mix
14	Lose That Girl Bonus Track / Trouser Enthusiast Mix

Barnes & Noble

Since the early '90s, London's Saint Etienne have been retrofitting contemporary dance-floor sounds with '60s pop-inspired melodies and vocals, making the trio equally hip among indie-pop kids and club denizens. On the 2000 album Sound of Water, the group veered away from the upbeat club-pop songs that had won over their fan base to emphasize mood and sound, taking cues as much from Angelo Badalamenti and Pierre Henry as from Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson. The 52-minute Interlude acts as a complement to Sound of Water, compiling B-sides from that album's singles, an edit of the single "Boy Is Crying," three brand-new tracks, a previously unavailable remix, and "Stevie," the band's contribution to the Beach Boys tribute Caroline Now!. The dozen tracks gel surprisingly well, carving out songs filled with generous spaces -- both spare and layered -- for the breathy vocals of Sarah Cracknell to languish in. In particular, the melancholy "Queen of Polythene," with its brushed drums, chiming harpsichord, billowy brass break, and "shoop-shoop" chorus, is vintage Saint Etienne, merging diffuse views of modern London -- from swinging to postmillennial -- into one completely unified vision. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

Fans of Saint Etienne who aren't quite dedicated enough to pay attention to the singles could be easily tricked into thinking Interlude is a new studio album. Given a different title and the subtraction of the two extraneous remixes at the end (the single mix of "Boy Is Crying" and the Trouser Enthusiasts mix of "Lose That Girl"), this would stand up pretty well as a follow-up to 2000's excellent Sound of Water. With the exception of three new compositions and their cover of the Beach Boys' "Stevie," these songs were recorded during the sessions for that record. So they tend to have the same graceful, minimal, melodic touches. In a few cases, the songs rival or eclipse material on Sound of Water, but they probably weren't included because they didn't fit the general, easygoing flow of the immaculately sequenced album. "Northwestern" is one such example of B-side brilliance; although it's one of their best overall moments, Sarah Cracknell's melancholic vocals would have found the track misplaced with the remainder of the record. "Shoot Out the Lights," which isn't a Richard & Linda Thompson cover, is the most organic of the bunch, a jumpy throwback to their Good Humor days. As for the new songs, they're promising if not much of a departure. "Mountain Rain" reigns supreme over the two other newbies, graced with swirling electronic drizzle and Cracknell's just-out-of-bed whispering. But what's most remarkable about Interlude is that Saint Etienne can deliver the goods over a decade into their career, even on a disc of extras. Admittedly, those who didn't care for Sound of Water's spare production won't find much here. But those who did care will find a group in top form, to say the least. Andy Kellman