Saint Etienne International

Critic's Take

There is an affectionate audacity to Saint Etienne on International, and the best tracks - notably “Glad” and “Brand New Me” - wear that ambition proudly. Bergstrom writes with a curator’s eye, tracing Motown and Spector echoes while celebrating Cracknell’s coquettish croon, so when he calls “Glad” vintage Saint Etienne and praises the brassy sweep of “Brand New Me” the case for those as the album’s standouts feels inevitable. Even when the band missteps on experiments like “Take Me To The Pilot”, the record reads as a strong, varied valedictory that sits beside their early classics. The final note, on “The Last Time”, is rueful and earnest - an emblem of a career choosing to fade gracefully rather than burn out.

Key Points

• The best song is "Glad" because it encapsulates Saint Etienne’s vintage happy/sad pop with euphoric production and gospel backing vocals.
• The album’s core strengths are meticulous pop craftsmanship, strong collaborative turns, and Cracknell’s enduring, storylike vocal presence.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne have fashioned International into a bittersweet party record that doubles as a farewell, and the review makes clear which are the best songs on International. The reviewer lingers on “Glad” as an immediate return to the Nineties zeitgeist, praises “Two Lovers” for its late-summer innocence, and crowns “Fade” a melancholy gem that marries trip-hop and orchestra. The tone stays elegiac yet celebratory, arguing that the album’s creative highs make these the best tracks on International even as the band signs off.

Key Points

• The best song is "Glad" because it reunites Saint Etienne with their Nineties zeitgeist, high-profile guests, and euphoric production.
• The album’s core strengths are its bittersweet farewell theme, nostalgic craftsmanship, and the blend of dance-pop energy with retro pop orchestration.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne's International arrives as a graceful, slightly anticlimactic farewell that still serves up the best songs as small, shimmering party anthems. The review insists that the best tracks, like “Glad” and “Brand New Me”, capture the band's knack for mapping dance energy onto nostalgia and longing, with “Glad” sending Cracknell's pleasures into the stratosphere. The voice is affectionate and measured, noting that while the album lacks a unifying theme, its standout moments are pure, arena-sized delight. Overall, the best songs on International work because they turn wistfulness into big, celebratory pop.

Key Points

• The best song, “Glad”, is best because it amplifies Cracknell with arena-sized synths and heroic guitars into a euphoric highlight.
• The album's core strengths are its nostalgic mapping of dance energy to tender feelings and a handful of standout, celebratory pop songs.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne's International reads like a jubilant, tear-streaked farewell party, where the best songs - “Glad”, “Two Lovers” and “The Last Time” - do the heavy lifting. The reviewer revels in the collaborative sparkle, calling “Glad” a "three-minute summer stunner" and hailing Vince Clarke's touch on “Two Lovers” as genuinely perfect. There is real emotional payoff in the finale, with “The Last Time” described as the trio "grabbing their coats" and switching off the lights. Overall the tone is celebratory and affectionate, pitching International as not just a goodbye but a high-spirited bookend to a wondrous adventure.

Key Points

• Vince Clarke’s work on ‘Two Lovers’ and the ecstatic opener ‘Glad’ make them the album’s standout tracks.
• International’s core strengths are affectionate nostalgia, collaborative sparkle, and expertly crafted pop songwriting.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne's International reads like a joyous, deeply bittersweet farewell, and the best songs - notably “Glad” and “Two Lovers” - carry the album's emotional weight with panache. The reviewer revels in the collaborative sparkle, from Tom Rowlands' dance rapture on “Glad” to Vince Clarke's reflective co-write on “Two Lovers”, which foreground meditations on separation. Sweet Melodies and the between-tracks snippets are praised for conjuring career-spanning echoes and surprising tenderness, making the best tracks on International feel like a celebration as well as a goodbye. The tone is celebratory yet rueful, presenting the top tracks as both triumphant dance moments and intimate valedictions.

Key Points

• The best song, "Glad", is best for its ecstatic 'dance rapture' and its linking back to the band's debut era.
• The album's core strengths are its collaborative sparkle, bittersweet farewell tone, and nostalgic career-spanning echoes.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne's final record, International, is presented as an explosively uplifting pop farewell that leans into collaboration and sunny synth life. The review repeatedly points to “Glad” as the opener that sets the tone, and praises “Brand New Me” and “Take Me To The Pilot” for marrying old instincts to fresh production. The voice is celebratory rather than mournful, noting that the band go out with a bang and that the collaborations feel like a proper send-off. It reads as a catalogue of best tracks on International that highlights joyous hooks, confident production and bright, international pop craft.

Key Points

• ‘Glad’ is the best track because it is pulsating, optimistic and sets the album's tone.
• The album's core strengths are its celebratory collaborations, bright pop hooks and confident production.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne close out with International, a party record that still feels tender, and the best songs show why their brand of evocative pop still works. The review praises “Glad” and “Brand New Me” as standout moments, and highlights the bright thump of “Dancing Heart” and the Balearic bliss of “Sweet Melodies” as essential listens. The album’s collaborations - from Vince Clarke to Janet Planet - sharpen rather than dilute the trio’s voice, so listeners asking "best tracks on International" will find themselves returning to “Glad” and “Brand New Me”. Throughout, the record balances big, bright bangers with small, moving touches, making these top songs both thrilling and emotionally precise.

Key Points

• The best song, "Glad", is the album's tone-setting, high-energy lead single and clearest standout.
• The album's core strengths are its emotional restraint, international collaborations, and knack for evocative pop.

Themes

Critic's Take

Saint Etienne end on a rejuvenated, euphoric high with International, and the best songs - notably “Glad” and “The Last Time” - crystallise that bittersweet goodbye. The reviewer praises the immediacy of “Glad” as the band’s strongest single in years, its bright synths and crashing breakbeats pairing joy with melancholy. Likewise, “The Last Time” is called the most treasurable closer, a heartwarming walk through three decades of the band. The album’s mix of vintage dance-pop and reflective downtempo makes these tracks the standout moments on International.

Key Points

• The Last Time is the best song for its heartwarming, treasurable closing that encapsulates three decades of the band.
• The album’s core strength is blending 90s dance-pop nostalgia with reflective, downtempo songwriting and collaborative freshness.

Themes