Saint Etienne - Home Counties

Urban and rural. The two, as the citizens of Norwich and their county cousins demonstrate, can lead very different lives, and have different attitudes, politics and priorities. But what of 'sub-urbia', that doughnut ring of commuters caught in the middle ground? Take, for example, the London overspill that is the Home Counties. After their live soundtrack to Paul Kelly's 2014 film How We Used To Live (featuring archive film of post-war London) Saint Etienne return with a 16 song collection dedicated to the world into which they were born. Home Counties arranges itself into three distinct sections, punctuated by radio soundbites sampled from morning, lunch and afternoon. This is a world that revolves principally around work and dreams, and the relationship with a capital city that is never far away, or easy to escape from. Glorious throughout with Sarah Cracknell's seductive vocals and strong melody lines, you will experience the urge to get away that is Dive; intrigue at the story of the Enfield poltergeist Heather; and be transported to the original Dunton Plotlands during the beautiful spoken word opening to Sweet Arcadia. But indulge yourself and savour this album in its entirety. A celebration of post-modernism. A classic.