I've Been Trying to Tell You

I've Been Trying to Tell You is the tenth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 10 September 2021 through Heavenly Recordings. The album is set between the "optimistic" years of 1997 and 2001, and contains samples of pop songs from this time along with related field recordings.[6] It was accompanied by a short film directed by photographer Alasdair McLellan that premiered at a BFI Southbank event on 3 September.[11]

I've Been Trying to Tell You
Studio album by
Saint Etienne
Released10 September 2021 (2021-09-10)
Genre
Length40:08
LabelHeavenly
Saint Etienne chronology
Home Counties
(2017)		 I've Been Trying to Tell You
(2021)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Arts Desk[6]
Clash8/10[7]
The Irish Times[1]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[2]
musicOMH[8]
Pitchfork6.9/10[9]
The Scotsman[10]

Background

The album marks the band's first sample-based record since So Tough (1993). Bob Stanley described it as "about optimism, and the late nineties, and how memory is an unreliable narrator".[11]

Critical reception

I've Been Trying to Tell You received a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from eight reviews on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[4] Tim Sendra of AllMusic called it "a concept album that looks to extract the optimistic sound of late '90s mainstream pop and twist it into a suite of songs that feel like the half-remembered afterimages of a dream".[5] Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Jesse Dorris wrote that the album "feels passive, lost in nostalgia for an age it hasn't fully reckoned with".[9]

Track listing
I've Been Trying to Tell You track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Music Again"5:45
2."Pond House"4:02
3."Fonteyn"4:50
4."Little K"5:45
5."Blue Kite"4:51
6."I Remember It Well"3:50
7."Penlop"5:30
8."Broad River"5:35
Total length:40:08

Sample credits

Charts
Chart performance for I've Been Trying to Tell You
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 14
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[15] 4

References
  1. Kane, Siobhán (10 September 2021). "Saint Etienne: I've Been Trying to Tell You review – Emotional time travel". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. McDonald, Sophia (8 September 2021). "Basking in a nostalgic setting sun, Saint Etienne bottle the feeling of late '90s Britain". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  3. Breihan, Tom (29 November 2021). "Stream Saint Etienne's Lovely New Christmas EP Her Winter Coat". Stereogum. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  4. "I've Been Trying to Tell You by Saint Etienne Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  5. Sendra, Tim. "I've Been Trying to Tell You – Saint Etienne | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. Tyler, Kieron (27 August 2021). "Album: Saint Etienne – I've Been Trying To Tell You". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  7. Murray, Robin (13 September 2021). "Saint Etienne – I've Been Trying To Tell You | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  8. Wade, Ian (8 September 2021). "Saint Etienne – I've Been Trying To Tell You | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  9. Dorris, Jesse (11 September 2021). "Saint Etienne: I've Been Trying to Tell You Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  10. Shepherd, Fiona (10 September 2021). "Album reviews: The Wanderer – A Tribute to Jackie Leven | Hamish Hawk | Saint Etienne | Common". The Scotsman. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  11. Murray, Robin (27 July 2021). "Saint Etienne Announce New Album 'I've Been Trying To Tell You'". Clash. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  12. Walters, Grant (4 September 2021). "Music Again: A Conversation with Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley | Interview". Albumism. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  15. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
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