MUSIC REVIEW: STEREOLAB - 'NOT MUSIC'
Rocking It Up and Stepping Out a Bit More with New Release
(Duophonic/Rough Trade) For longtime Stereolab fans, their current release, Not Music, is more of the same singular sounding, indie lounge rock you’ve come to expect…and more. These songs were recorded in 2007 during the same sessions as the songs that make up their 2008 release, Chemical Chords. The release of Not Music two years after its completion was the band’s early decision after hearing the final mixes. A good idea. Within the context of the band’s prolific discography, separating these songs into their own collection makes sense. This grouping is somewhat poppier and, in most places, has a lighter feel than past recordings. The band toys with brighter chords and chord changes and some different musical elements than on prior releases. Make no mistake: this is clearly not a change of direction for Stereolab but rather just an extension of the experimental song layering they’re known for. Unlike other pioneer bands of the indie rock era that seem to have become somewhat more subdued in their songwriting and performance style, Stereolab is rocking it up and stepping out a bit more. Well, ‘rocking it up’ Stereolab-style.
All the elements--Laetitia Sadier’s plaintive vocals, the loungey keyboard loops, ambient musical sections, static guitar strumming, and breakbeats--are still right where you’d expect them, but they jump a bit more than we’ve heard before. Some new musical stylings and instrumental sweeteners are brought in and emphasized, such as a horn section popping up here and there, which should please already established fans and sound completely contemporary to new listeners. The opening track, “Everybody’s Weird Except Me,” sounds like music from farcical French cinema of the '60s or a Wes Anderson film. It teases at what’s to come. More of the '60s French Pop stylings they’ve used so successfully as accents before are allowed to shine though and dominate these songs. There are some new keyboard sounds, musical breaks of a type the band has previously stayed away from, and an unforced and unpretentious carefree feel. The best example of this might be Tim Ganes’s '60s influenced guitar-pop introduction to “Sun Demon.” Just when you think you know where the song is going, the band transitions into a more dissonant groove with more familiar samples and looping. It's quite astounding and yet not unexpected. Stereolab is known for creative and seamless musical transitioning, and they haven’t lost their ability to move songs in unique and interesting directions.
A few of the tracks repeat small sections of songs from Chemical Chords and could be interpreted as pseudo-sequels. It’s as if the band said, “Okay, we did this song this way and it’s cool, but what if we kept this bit, changed up the rest, and tried it this way…?” These and the rest of the songs, which make up this disc, all blend flawlessly together as connected works.
On Not Music, the band has added more melody and expanded their instrumentation and style of arranging things. The changes seem significant enough to have kept things interesting and fun in the studio, but the finished songs remain distinctly Stereolab compositions.
Whether or not critics and fans come to regard Not Music as one of their favorites from Stereolab, or an unfortunate miss, it will certainly get remarks for being quite singular sounding within their already unique and prolific repertoire.
For Fans Of: Arcade Fire, Brian Eno, Beck, The Feelies
Standout Tracks: "Everybody Is Weird Except Me” “Two Finger Symphony” “Sun Demon”
Featured content
Related content
You may also like
Recent comments
