Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night - Stereolab

Advantages: great music
Disadvantages: some

...Stereolab are the kind of band that are constantly interesting and can be great but not everything they do really works. They have what could be described as an incredibly unique low-fi popy sound -using the moog to great effect-, but they can have such a varied sound it can be difficult to pin this anglo-french band down. I suppose if you wanted to put them into any kind of genre I would have to make a leap at lo-fi-indy-electro-disco, i hope that makes it clearer. The lead singer Laetitia Sadier sings in french for most of the songs but that never matters and her voice sounds great anyway. It makes for a really unique sound. Refried Ectoplasm is the first album to be released from a collection of some of the rarer tacks from early phase of stereolab. It's packed with limited edition 7"s and rare compilations. Though for a compilation... Read review

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Advantages: Jaunty space pop With 3 good ears for melody.
Disadvantages: Familiarity may breed something much less damning than contempt.

...If the thrill of distant adventures in stereoland is your want then 'Mars Audiac Quintet' is the planet you should visit. Futuristic music that sounds like it was created back in a time when the instruments being used had not been invented. Confused, well you listen to this album and you'll know what i mean. Fronted by the positively frothy laetitia sadlier whose dulcet french tones orbit around beautifully spaced moog surfaces. Most of the tunes appear to be of a similar repetitive nature, so much so, that dizziness after the 'lab is almost inevitable. Tim Gane who writes the music used to be in scottish indie group McCarthy and met Sadlier at one of their gigs. This dreamlike meeting meant that when mccarthy finally split up, Stereolab was born. Stereolab have been experimentalists from the start and are infused with a super... Read review

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Advantages: Flashback To The Intuitive Early Years.
Disadvantages: Fast Forward To The Assured Present Day.

.... The presentation is enhanced by several layers of harmonies and the odd intergalactical bleep that could have NASA really believing that ET's offspring have gone into showbusiness. The intriguing 'Exploding Head Movie' displays Sadier rehashing a few indecipherable words over a psychedelic backdrop of echoing guitars and frenetic drumming. Sounding like it was recorded on a polar night where the conditions meant that the band had to play energetically to stay alive it'll have your leg muscles dancing in unison. The songs jaunty propulsion has enough power in its belly to illuminate small lighthouses and enough beforesight to communicate with ancient civilisations. With Stereolab there is often little to titillate (unless you can speak French) in the words that are song. Laetitia Sadier could be singing about the problem of sour milk on perfectly... Read review

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