Stereolab

“Fab Four Suture” (Too Pure/Duophonic)

Sounds like: American Analog Set, The Polyphonic Spree, The Beatles (psychedelic years)

REVIEW: 3 / 5

In short: This disc is a quirky, dancey, disco-esque pop party. Stereolab fans will approve. The lyrics are by far their most intimate and serious yet.

If I were to dress up in my best suit, carousing the town all night long in a pair of aviator sunglasses, I would want Stereolab’s new CD to be the soundtrack for my evening. Its songs are dancey, eclectic and reminiscent of the disco music my dad still shamelessly cranks every time we have a family road trip.

Psycho-synth sound effects, singing horn riffs and vocals so spacey they sound as though they might simply float away: These things permeate track after track with flawless transition.

The disc has an overall forlorn tone, with lyrics focusing on the state of the world today – encouraging humans to band together in their powerless state to treat each other with respect in the overwhelming shadow of war and suppressive governments.

Not that it really matters, Stereolab makes the kind of music where lyrics are somewhat difficult to understand, and vocals blend in to the background music to create an eclectic wall of sound.

This album should be listened to in sequence, lacking strong singles, but more than making up for it by creating a solid overall piece of art. Next time you feel like floating around in a sugar-coated sea of psychedelic pop – give “Fab Four Suture” a try.

-Dan McClanahan