Home Counties

Pitchfork 7.6/10 Saint Etienne never identified as Britpop, and fair enough. But with Home Counties, they give us a glimpse of what cutting-edge ’90s pop could have become if it had evolved into adult music with a more earthbound point of view.

The Line of Best Fit 8/10 Thematically the album's tight and the catchy hooks and danceable rhythms drip with just the right amount of psychedelic dance-pop sweetness.

All Music 4/5 It may not be flashy like their early work, experimental like some of their mid-period albums, or punchy like Words and Music, but the album takes in elements of everything they've done along the way and repurposes it in a lovely, extremely satisfying fashion.

The Skinny 4/5 As they move closer to the middle ground, Saint Etienne are far from re-inventing the wheel, but in writing delectable pop hooks about a place as decidely uncool as the home counties, that was never really the point.

Under The Radar 7.5/10 Home Counties has much to offer in the way their greatest records always have-infectious hits, interesting soundscapes, nods to musical history, all under the sprawling umbrella of pop.

Clash 6/10 The band’s approach to music-making has always been as eclectic as their references, but generally they’ve stuck to one approach per album. Unfortunately this is where ‘Home Counties’ comes a bit unstuck. There’s quite a lot going on.

The Observer 4/5 (Heavenly Recordings)

Pop Matters 5/10 Publicity photo via artist.

The Guardian 3/5 Throughout it all, Sarah Cracknell’s voice – coolly observational with a hint of gossip – remains a uniquely beautiful sound in British pop.

Spectrum Culture 40% An expanse of common adequacy rather than notability.