Stereolab - Chemical Chords

  by Jamie Rowland

published: 27 / 8 / 2008

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Review

I’m not really familiar with Stereolab’s previous output (I know them by name, but not by noise), so I go into this review as a first time listener of the band, with a brand spanking new opinion of them – exciting! I have to say that they didn’t immediately endear themselves to me by releasing a promo copy of their new album, 'Chemical Chords', where all the tracks are edited to end abruptly in the middle. Presumably a tactic to foil the net pirates and their devious schemes, but rather testing when you’re trying to review the record, all the same. Track 3, 'One Finger Symphony', only gets half way through what I assume is a first verse, before cutting off. It sounded ok at the beginning, but what if it takes an awful turn for the worse post-1 minute 33? They might sincerely tell you to go and set yourself on fire or rob a post office at the end of each song, for all I know, so it makes it a little difficult for me to give it a heartfelt endorsement. In any case, I suspect this track editing was the label’s decision rather than the band’s, so let’s not take it out on them. Rant over. What I can tell you from the sample I got of the album is this: Stereolab are a synth-driven Belle & Sebastian-esque pop band; their songs are sugar-coated musical puff-pastries, all syrup and icing. There are hints of the influence of Tortoise on some of the tracks (particularly 'Fractal Dream of a Thing') and a little Sebastian Tellier creeping about, too - perhaps coming from the Gallic influence of keyboardist, co-songwriter, and fellow Frenchie, Laetitia Sadier. I think I can also here some 'Flow Motion'-era Can in there, too. But somehow, all these wonderful elements don’t really gel, and I personally was left wanting. The songs are all very nice. And that’s the problem really. There’s too much nice-ness on this album. It never really kicks it up a gear. It just seems like all the songs are building to something they never quite reach (although, of course I don’t actually know that for sure, having only been given half of each song). If anything, the album gets a little frustrating; you want the band to get a bit angry and attack their instruments - give it a bit of oompf, you know? Turn it up to 11, or at least a notch or two above 4. If you’ve ever been slowly punched to death by a man made from a quilt, then 'Chemical Chords' may give you a nice trip down nostalgia lane, but otherwise it’s a little too sweet not to get sickly. Kind of like a French Fancy

Track Listing:-

1 Neon Beanbag
2 Three Women
3 One Finger Symphony
4 Chemical Chords
5 The Ecstatic Static
6 Valley Hi!
7 Silver Sands
8 Pop Molecule (Molecular Pop 1)
9 Self Portrait with "Electric Brain"
10 Nous Vous Demandons Pardon
11 Cellulose Sunshine
12 Fractal Dream of a Thing
13 Daisy Click Clack
14 Vortical Phonotheque

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