Yeah, I was crushed to hear that Pram's Rosie Cuckston was no longer a part of the roster-- especially since Monade is going to be touring the US in the next few months. But that's my problem.
For Stereolab fans out there, this should be a must-buy. It doesn't feature the electronic gimmickry of recent Stereolab (don't get me wrong-- I love that stuff), but can best be described as a fusion of early, more instrument-driven Stereolab and their more recent addiction to psychedelic romance.
No less an authority than Manhattan's Other Music described this as being less an independent project of Sadier's than an extension of Stereolab's body of work, but I have to respectfully disagree. If this were a new Stereolab album, it would mark a new direction for the 'groop.' The differences might be subtle, but they're undeniable. While Sadier's vocal stylings remain the same (and thank heaven for that), the supporting music is less concerned with cradling her voice in a wash of supportive sound, and more focused on maintaining a more "band-like" sound, albeit with a similar retro feel. Sort of a Stereolab-now meets a Stereolab-then. Maybe I'm just doing some defensive quibbling.
People who were fans of early Stereolab should be thrilled, but those of us who love the sound they've created over the last seven years or so will also be pleased. What you have here is a happy medium between the two incarnations of the band-- today's Letitia combined with an earlier-sounding supporting cast. Maybe I'm just starved for more from the musicians who've been favorites of mine for years and years now, but this strikes me as being an excellent addition to the Stereolab saga, as well as being a nice introduction to the Stereolab sound for people who find them to be a tad overproduced and off-putting.
Note: Emperor Tomato Ketchup buffs should be very, very happy with this one.
