Saint Etienne follow 2002's Finisterre, acclaimed as their best album yet, with an invitation to spend twenty fours inside a tower block. Modernist, but never brutalist, these are the TALES FROM TURNPIKE HOUSE.

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Melancholy, that most English malaise, mingles with the west coast vocal arrangements of Tony Rivers, late of the legendary Harmony Grass. Just listen to the opener SUN IN MY MORNING, a curtains-flung-open, lark on the wing, ring a ding anthem to the sun: Bebel Gilberto meets Brian Wilson circa Friends somewhere on the Cote d'Azur. Maybe this isn't so surprising – the Smile shows a year ago were a sizeable inspiration. Aiming for the sky, this is Saint Etienne's Anglo response to Smile's Americana by way of Patrick Hamilton and a raft of mellotrons.

There's the astrology obsessive on LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE, robo-pop with a subtle stalker element; the party girl lost among SLOW DOWN AT THE CASTLE's baroque Latin beauty; a nasty atmosphere brewing at the Hat And Fan adding up to LAST ORDERS FOR GARY STEAD.

Guest star David Essex walks into the middle of a domestic on RELOCATE; STARS ABOVE US is Philly disco at a north London roof party; the epic TEENAGE WINTER is no less than the crisis of middle youth laid bare.

Production is courtesy of "fourth Etienne" Ian Catt and the Xenomania crew (Sugababes, Kylie, Girls Aloud). Sleevenotes are provided by Turner prize winner and long time Ets fan Jeremy Deller. The artwork, as ever, is worth the price of admission alone.

Saint Etienne live dates coming up:

15/6 BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 supp Annie
16/6 LONDON KOKO supp Annie
17/6 GLASGOW ABC supp Annie
18/6 MANCHESTER NORTHERN COLLECE OF MUSIC supp Jane Weaver, DJ Andy Votel