Ttwo years separating
Cobra
and
Sound-Dust
found
Stereolab
deliberately recharging their creative juices, delving deeper into
avant-garde
composition and '60s
swing pop
in equal measures. When
opens with the minimal
"Black Ants in Sound-Dust,"
it's evident that the group has restructured and pushed forward, even if it means that they're adhering to their time-honored tradition of expanding their trademark sound with new arrangements and influences. Initially, the record seems like a bold move forward -- a
instrumental album where the arrangements and production take the proper forefront, since every recording since
Amorphous Body Center
has illustrated that that's the group's real strength. Then,
"Captain EasyChord"
kicks in with a catchy, mid-tempo
lounge
groove and
Laetitia Sadier
's singsong vocals, and the album is immediately anchored in familiar territory. On a purely sonic level,
is often be quite pleasing and intriguing, especially the sophisticated horn and flute arrangements, which producer
Jim O'Rourke
makes lushly alluring. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine