St. Etienne remain one of the most intelligent, pop literate acts around. Their previous album, 1998's Good Humour, found them breaking with their own conventions by dropping samples and effects in favour of real musicians. However, Sound Of Water sees them blending the two with immaculate good taste: strings and woodwind (arrangements by the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan) sit alongside bubbling keyboards and quietly throbbing beats while guitars (courtesy of Doves' Jez Williams) rub up against buzzing synths. German electronic pioneers To Rococo Rot chip in with some minimalist, arty arrangements but only in the context of some beautifully sculpted songs. And what songs: "Sycamore", "Don't Back Down", "Downey CA" all swell with the sort of lush, gossamer melodies that breeze through your consciousness like a warm breeze through a curtain. Sarah Cracknell sounds like she's going to expire at any moment, while Wiggs and Stanley breathe life into every musical phrase. --Mike Pattenden