CD of The Week

Fifteen years may have passed between albums for Stereolab (2010’s release was the inaccurately titled Not Music) but the legacy for the Anglo-French art-pop group has only strengthened in that time. Their collage-like musical approach and vibey soundscapes can be heard in artists ranging from Toro y Moi to Tame Impala and notable needle drops in TV shows like Atlanta and For All Mankind have introduced the band’s music to new audiences in recent years. Meanwhile, effortlessly blending Brazilian funk, electronic loops, 60s urbane jazz, and radical politics will always have an innate sense of cool. Luckily, Instant Holograms on Metal Film shows that the band haven’t lost any of their adventurousness or offbeat melodic spirit, as the album serves as both a great introduction to the band and an indelible listen that features many songs to get lost in.

Despite combining esoteric elements such as Krautrock-inspired drumming, unusual time signatures, and bilingual lyrics, Stereolab’s music has an ease and a groove that scans as accessible rather than pretentious. That poppy, quirky charm carries through most of the album, whether it be in the interplay between synths and brass instruments on “Immortal Hands,” the ethereal harmonies centering “Le Coeur et Le Force,” or the playful, skittering melody of “Electrified Teenybop!” It’s never certain where each song is going to go, but the journey is always thoughtfully crafted and pleasurable.

Many tracks are at least partially instrumental, but Laetitia Sadier remains a distinctive and riveting frontwoman when utilized. Her deadpan vocals are disarming, and her lyrics are playful and political, with a particularly timely couplet appearing on “Melodie is a Wound” where Sadier laments that the “public’s right to know the truth / gagged, muzzled by the powerful / cultivate ignorance and hate / the goal is to manipulate.” As superficially bright as the arrangements often are, there is a moral clarity to Stereolab’s music that is admirable and necessary.

Bursting with invention, eclecticism, and purpose, Instant Holograms on Metal Film is classic Stereolab entering a new era that might have more appreciation for the band’s genre-hopping music and leftist sentiments. Fans of their acclaimed 90s work (notably Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Dots and Loops) should feel right at home while newer listeners will likely be transfixed by the album’s cosmic melodies.

Stereolab will be returning to Philly for a sold-out show at Union Transfer on Wednesday, September 24th.