St Etienne: Let's Be Avenue!

I wanted to talk to St Etienne because I don't like their records as much as everyone else seems to. I don't believe that they're as ingenuous as they're painted. They've often mentioned influences I applaud – Spector, Pet Sounds, Marvin Gaye and so on – but they have consistently failed to deliver anything remotely as affecting.

And yet they've been cheered to the echo, and been given unanimous rave reviews.