Thirty-four years after the band’s initial formation, British indie pop group Saint Etienne have proven their staying power with the announcement of their twelfth studio album, The Night, and the corresponding release of the album’s lead single. The Night will serve as the band’s first joint effort since their 2021 release, I’ve Been Trying To Tell You, a sample-based album focused around a retrospective look at what the late nineties brought them.

The band wants to continue the atmospheric precedent that I’ve Been Trying To Tell You set, with Pete Wiggs, the trio’s keyboardist, stating, “We wanted to continue the mellow and spacey mood of the last album, perhaps even double down on it, but it’s a very different album, not based on samples. Songs, moods and spoken pieces drift in and out whilst rain pours down outside. It’s the kind of record I like to listen to in the dark or with my eyes closed.”

The album’s first single, “Half Light,” perfectly exemplifies this mission statement, as it takes a slow, contemplative approach to their traditionally electronic sound. The song feels melancholic, but intangibly so, like letting sand fall through your fingers or taking a shaky breath after crying. This was partly accomplished through the use of “rain noise,” as fellow Saint Etienne member Bob Stanley has explained it, which is used throughout The Night as a way to paint a particular picture for what the album was going for.

It’s admirable that, this far into their career, the band has still opted to create new art rather than coast off their older works. While they did find success for their 20th-Anniversary tour for Good Humor, who’s to say The Night won’t receive the same treatment twenty years from now?

You can listen to “Half Light” for yourself down below:

The Night‘s tracklist is as follows:

1. Settle In

2. Half Light

3. Through The Glass

4. Nightingale

5. Northern Counties East

6. Ellar Carr

7. When You Were Young

8. No Rush

9. Gold

10. Celestial

11. Preflyte

12. Wonderlight

13. Hear My Heart

14. Alone Together