Home Counties (album)
Home Counties | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
Studio album by Saint Etienne | ||||
Released | 2 June 2017 | |||
Length | 56:20 | |||
Label | Heavenly | |||
Producer | ||||
Saint Etienne chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Home Counties | ||||
Home Counties is the ninth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released on 2 June 2017 by Heavenly Recordings.[3] The album features collaborations with Gerard Johnson, Augustus (also known as Gus Lobban of Kero Kero Bonito) and Nick Moon (of Kyte). The album features production from Shawn Lee, Carwyn Ellis and Richard X.
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100[4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Clash | 6/10[6] |
The Guardian | |
Mixmag | 8/10[8] |
Mojo | |
The Observer | |
Pitchfork | 7.6/10[11] |
Q | |
The Skinny | |
Uncut | 9/10[14] |
Home Counties received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 16 reviews.[4] The album was ranked #1 in Albumism's 50 Best Albums of 2017 year-end list.[15]
Commercial performance
Home Counties debuted at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 3,215 copies in its first week.[16]
Track listing
All tracks produced by Saint Etienne and Shawn Lee, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Reunion" | 0:22 | |
2. | "Something New" | 3:17 | |
3. | "Magpie Eyes" |
| 3:35 |
4. | "Whyteleafe" (producers: Saint Etienne, Lee, Augustus) |
| 3:09 |
5. | "Dive" |
| 4:49 |
6. | "Church Pew Furniture Restorer" |
| 1:53 |
7. | "Take It All In" |
| 3:25 |
8. | "Popmaster" | 0:29 | |
9. | "Underneath the Apple Tree" |
| 2:35 |
10. | "Out of My Mind" (producers: Saint Etienne, Lee; additional producer: Richard X) |
| 3:58 |
11. | "After Hebden" (producers: Saint Etienne, Lee, Augustus) |
| 3:31 |
12. | "Breakneck Hill" |
| 1:39 |
13. | "Heather" (producers: Wiggs, Lee, Nick Moon) |
| 3:58 |
14. | "Sports Report" | 0:12 | |
15. | "Train Drivers in Eyeliner" |
| 3:17 |
16. | "Unopened Fan Mail" |
| 3:04 |
17. | "What Kind of World" |
| 3:08 |
18. | "Sweet Arcadia" |
| 7:44 |
19. | "Angel of Woodhatch" |
| 2:14 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Home Counties.[17]
Saint Etienne
- Saint Etienne – production (tracks 1–12, 14–19)
- Sarah Cracknell – vocals
- Bob Stanley – keyboards
- Pete Wiggs – keyboards (all tracks); production (track 13)
Additional personnel
- Rhys Atkinson – assistant art and direction
- Augustus – Kawai PHm, Novation Bass Station, Yamaha PSR-76 (track 4); production, programming (tracks 4, 11); Korg 101, Roland MT-32 (track 11)
- James Arben – flute (track 18)
- Ken Bruce – voice (track 8)
- Guy Davie – mastering (at Electric Mastering)
- Pierre Duplan – engineering (all tracks); mixing (tracks 1–9, 11–19)
- Carwyn Ellis – producer, bass, guitars, mellotron, harpsichord and Hammond Organ (5, 7)
- Ben Greenslade-Stanton – trombone, trumpet (tracks 2, 5, 9)
- Gerard Johnson – voice (track 1); piano (tracks 1, 2, 15, 18); Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, Teisco 100P, Yamaha YS100 (tracks 2, 15, 18)
- Scott King – art direction
- Tim Larcombe – bass (track 3)
- Shawn Lee – production (all tracks); mixing (tracks 1–9, 11–19); backing vocals, banjo, bass, Casio CZ101, Crumar Multiman, drums, Glockenspiel, guitars, handclaps, Maestro Rhythm King, marimba, Mellotron, microKORG, Omnichord, percussion, programming, Roland MC-202, Siel synth, tambourine, vibraphone, Yamaha CS-5, Yamaha ED10 (unspecified tracks)
- Nick Moon – production (track 13)
- Dee Noble – photography
- Lawrence Oakley – backing vocals, Nord Lead 3, programming (track 10)
- Mark Waterfield – backing vocals, guitar (track 10)
- Wolf – voice (track (14)
- Richard X – additional production, mix (track 10)
Charts
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] | 190 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] | 97 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] | 22 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21] | 86 |
UK Albums (OCC)[22] | 31 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[23] | 3 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[24] | 21 |
References
- ↑ "Magpie Eyes (2017) | Saint Etienne". 7digital (UK). Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ↑ "Dive (3:35 Edit) (2017) | Saint Etienne". 7digital (UK). Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ↑ Brandle, Lars (23 March 2017). "Saint Etienne Returns with 'Home Counties'". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- 1 2 "Reviews and Tracks for Home Counties by Saint Etienne". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ↑ Sendra, Tim. "Home Counties – Saint Etienne". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ↑ Heaney, Joe (30 June 2017). "Saint Etienne – Home Counties". Clash. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (1 June 2017). "Saint Etienne: Home Counties review – finding Arcadia in the Brexit heartlands". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ↑ Moore, Ralph (2 June 2017). "June: 18 albums you need to hear this month". Mixmag. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ↑ Tyler, Kieron (July 2017). "Filter Albums". Mojo. No. 284. p. 86. ISSN 1351-0193.
- ↑ Morris, Damien (4 June 2017). "Saint Etienne: Home Counties review – a winningly witty paean". The Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ↑ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (10 June 2017). "Saint Etienne: Home Countries". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ↑ Harrison, Ian (Summer 2017). "Q Review: New Albums". Q. No. 374. p. 108. ISSN 0955-4955.
- ↑ Wade, Lewis (30 May 2017). "Saint Etienne – Home Counties". The Skinny. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ↑ Dale, Jon (July 2017). "Saint Etienne – Home Counties". Uncut. No. 242. p. 37. ISSN 1368-0722. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ↑ "Albumism's 50 Best Albums of 2017 | #1: Saint Etienne's 'Home Counties'". Albumism. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- ↑ Jones, Alan (9 June 2017). "Official Charts Analysis: Ed Sheeran's ÷ back at No.1". Music Week. Retrieved 26 June 2017. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Home Counties (liner notes). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Recordings. 2017. HVNLP139CD.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Saint Etienne – Home Counties" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Saint Etienne – Home Counties" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Saint Etienne – Home Counties". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ↑ "Saint Etienne | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ↑ "Saint Etienne Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2017.