St. Etienne

Good Humor (Sub Pop)
by Chris Adams

Brrrr… is it me, or is it a little chilly in here? I don’t think it’s an accident that this album is titled Good Humor – no doubt it was named after the ice cream. And it’s probably not just a coincidence that it was recorded in the snowy flatlands of Sweden. This LP is virtually an aural ice sculpture. Not that it sounds inhuman, exactly – it’s coolly synthesized, but not coldly synthetic.

Imagine ice cubes tinkling in a glass of perfectly carved crystal, or inhaling some autumn air after brushing your teeth. It’s dance music for people who refuse to sweat. It’s ice skating and frosty frolicking in Central Park with the chick from That Girl in a simpler world that never really existed except on the silver screen. And she’s wearing all white and a furry pink hat. And chewing Carefree sugarless gum. It’s a laidback lounge on white leather in a heavily air-conditioned, immaculately clean igloo. That’s what this album feels like. Here we find Sarah Cracknall, our chilly chanteuse, reflecting on love and loss with such a sweet innocent voice that ya wanna kiss her in the cold because… well, just because. Her voice alone could melt the coldest heart. Beats percolate rather than throb. The melodies beg to be hummed. This is a fine collection of clean confections of melancholic pop splendor. Limited editions come with a St. Etienne/Sub-Pop parka. (I’m lying, you nitwit.)
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