Though the nearly two decade old band Stereolab has recently announced its indefinite hiatus, they have released one final album, Not Music.
They had intended the album to be a sister album to their previous work, Chemical Chords 2, because the two had been created during the same studio sessions.
Indeed, for devoted Stereolab fans, Not Music, coming from a band whose style has been extremely eclectic during its musical career, is nothing different in style or sound from their previous works.
That being said, for those who are coming to this release as new listeners of Stereolab, Not Music will offer a great look into a band with a solid, catchy and quirky sound.
The band favors mixing xylophones and bells with classic guitar riffs and drum beats that makes their music good ambiance music that is light and upbeat.
Not Music starts off strong with catchy pop tune “Everybody’s Weird Except Me,” which blends the ethereal sounding voice of lead singer Laetitia Sadier with an electronic instrumental background.
The song is bound to be a hit with any listener of the band, newcomer or seasoned, and it showcases what they are undoubtedly best known for: their soft, yet innovative, sound.
The piece’s melody meanders in a pleasant way, carried by Sadier’s voice and the gentle electronica in the background, coming to a definitive and pleasing close before launching right into “Supah Jaianto,” another solid song, though not extremely different sounding from “Everybody’s Weird Except Me.”
Once again, the song is characterized by the meshing of Sadier’s soft vocals and electronic, bouncing beats in the background.
They have added a trumpet in this track which gives the song a jazzier feel, but aside from this the song is very similar to the first.
Stereolab’s great strength certainly lies in their pop tunes and the way they are able to blend quirky instrumentals with sweet, raspy vocals into one flowing piece.
Both songs from Not Music are certainly in a similar vein as their 2008 pop hit “Valley Hi!” from their album Chemical Chords.
However, Stereolab is also a band that has built their reputation on their varying and innovative musical style.
Their sound is one that has evolved through the avant garde to 60’s lounge pop and has incorporated jazz and bossa nova-esque beats.
It is then unusual, especially for long-time fans of their music, to have their final album be so uniform in sound, and also so similar to their recent Chemical Chords 2 album.
The main pull of the album comes with the “Silver Sands (Emperor Machine Mix)” track that is a winding 10 minute-long work of pulsing and evolving electronic beats.
It is here that the innovative nature of both Sadier and Tim Gane shines through strong.
The work beeps and chants melodically along, and it is undoubtedly the album’s shining moment where the old Stereolab feel comes through.
Overall, the album is a strong last effort from a band that has an extensive body of work, but for long-time fans, it is most likely not the final work that would be hoped for from such a creative group.
And perhaps, it is a good thing that they keep listeners thinking or hoping that a return of Stereolab will happen sooner than later.