STEREOLAB
Ocillons from the Anti-Sun
Too Pure
MONADE
A Few Steps More
Too Pure
· The Groop still plays chord X, only now they do it with considerably more style.
What started as indie rock’s smoothest one-trick pony has evolved into one of the most ambitious pop bands on the planet. When Stereolab first picked up their instruments, they fused the cocktail jazz of Juan Garcia Equivel with driving monochord rock. Chugging away on barely more than one chord gave them a few albums worth of material, but by the mid ’90s they had started playing with epic song arrangements, swirling retro-futurist soundscapes, jazz accents, multi-lingual pop and glitchy electronics.
Because of this diversity, the three-disc box set from Stereolab has a lot more to offer than you would expect, especially considering they have already dropped three other B-side collections. Ocillons from the Anti-Sun has 28 previously unreleased songs, all of which showcase vocalist Laetitia Sadier’s glorious French-English vocals and mastermind Tim Gane’s keen ear for blending all manner of wow and flutter into a luscious time-travelling musical journey. Singles, alternate mixes (including two versions of their epic "Jenny Ondioline"), non-album tracks ("Moogy Wonderland" being one of their best), live versions and music videos make this collection not only a great catch for longtime fans, but also a surprisingly good primer for first-time listeners.
Working outside the Lab, Sadier has been making her own records under the name Monade for several years, and while A Few Steps More is her second full-length, it’s her first proper studio album. Taking cues from Stereolab and infusing her music with a Parisian pop edge (and the occasional bossanova), Sadier has slightly less finesse on her own in terms of song structure, but there is no arguing with her voice. Most of the material on the album is sung in French, but with a voice as strong has hers, it hardly matters if you can’t understand the lyrics. A must for fans of Stereolab, especially if Sadier’s smoky croon is what drew you to the band in the first place.
STEREOLAB 4/5
MONADE 3/5
JASON LEWIS
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