Tuesday 16 November 2010

The Same Music


Some called them one of the most influential and innovative British bands of the '90s. Others called them too experimental and obscure for their own good. Whatever your opinion is, one thing is clear: Stereolab are not a band that can just be ignored. They've been around since 1990, released nine studio albums to date, and managed to survive a lot of line-up changes (including the death of one of their members back in 2002).

However, even the toughest of us need a break every once in a little while. Last year, it has been announced that the band will go into indefinite hiatus – and that probably broke the hearts of many people. In spite of that, or maybe because of that, they also scheduled for November 2010 the release of their tenth studio album, called Not Music. Now, you might ask: Not Music as in "This is not music, this is something above music, and you should be grateful you listen to it" or as in "We're making no music for you from now on, ungrateful bastards, so listen to this and realise what you had lost!!!". Who knows? Perhaps both of them.

If there is one thing Stereolab were especially good at (except the fact they always made people believe they have Marx's photo hidden in their wallets), then that must have been their amazing ability of making music that managed to sound different each time, and yet still the same. In time, that became their trademark, and of course the surprise element had been lost. So it will be only natural for you to think Not Music follows the same pattern they got us used to.

And it does indeed. First, Laetitia Sadier's mysterious vocals are the same as always, and it will make you wish you were born a French able to speak English (and thus able to understand her better). Second, the sound had not changed a bit. In a way, that's a really good thing. It spreads the same vintage and warm feeling in the air as it always did, making you feel at ease. Unfortunately, this is not enough to keep your attention all of the time. It surely is nice as background music, but it lacks any kind of sparkle. Sadly enough, perhaps the most interesting moment of the album is Atlas Sound's remix of Neon Beanbag, but that does nothing but to prove you what a great musician Bradford Cox is.

It would be exaggerating and unfair to call Not Music a bad album. Rather than that, this is the type of album, you hear, play and enjoy without truly loving it with all your heart. In a way, it makes you think it's better Stereolab decided to take a break, but it also makes you wish for them to return in a couple of years with a new release able to remind you why you fell in love with them in the first place. Let's say that for now it will do.


*Photo courtesy of Stereolab's official site.