Released in 1993,
Space Age Bachelor Pad Music
refined
Stereolab
's sound further and also showcased the increasingly experimental focus of the band's music. Split into two sides -- the gentle, intricate "Easy Listening" and the more upbeat "New Wave" -- this eight-song "mini-LP" ranges from the bubbly keyboard piece "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music (Foamy)" to the defiant, driving groove of "We're Not Adult Orientated." The sweet, close harmonies on "Ronco Symphony" and "The Groop Play Chord X" edge closer to the sophisticated, lounge pop-inspired sound explored during the rest of
's career, while the vibes of "Avant Garde M.O.R." and the fizzy keyboards of "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music (Mellow)" spotlight the band's more texturally complex arrangements. However, the immediacy of "We're Not Adult Orientated (Neu Wave Live)" and the hypnotic, fuzzy guitars on "U.H.F. - MFP" prove that while
gained more polish and ambition on
, the band didn't lose any of its kinetic edge. ~ Heather Phares