[.ca] Margerine Eclipse

From Amazon.com:
The most amazing thing about Stereolab's Margerine Eclipse is how much of a surprise it is. It's not just that it's a fantastic record--Stereolab have made plenty of those. But since 1996's classic Emperor Tomato Ketchup, they've been deconstructing and breaking down their mix of exotic lounge pop and progressive Krautrock, throwing up cyclones of electronic mist. It's yielded some beautiful, but cold and distancing work. Eclipse shocks you with the contrast. Filled with the warmest possible intentions, it invites you to fall in love with its kind thumps and aural flotsam. Anchored by a test pattern baseline and a sly beat machine, the title track wanders around the edges, breaking into the main groove only to smoothly dissolve in a bittersweet end. Sounds like any other Stereolab song, right? But here--stripped down, dynamic, and alive--it's simply charming. --Matthew Cooke

Crack cocaine for your brain.:
I can't get this CD out of my car player. It has Stereolab at the top of their game. I don't really care for many female singers. Too many can't sing, and they usually have silly lyrics to tout anyway, however, Latitia Sadier is so irresistable, even with her sweet la-la-la's and ba-ba-ba's. She is the ultimate modern French chanteuse. Super-smart songs, with endless re-listening potential, and the band at their most organic and warmest. For such a technically oriented band, relying heavily on technology for their sound, they have exquisitely matured. Thankfully they have something creative and vital worth playing. The first three songs are stunning, although not on the first listen. While Margerine Rock & Bop Scotch provide the sugar rush, songs like La Demeure & Margerine Melody provide the endless exploration and meditativeness of say Refractions in the Plastic Pulse from the Dots & Loops album. There are too few bands like this, and strangely they seem to be eking out a living doing their thing, instead of basking in praise. Buy it!

Their best album since Emperor Tomato Ketchup:
I'm impressed. Unlike most bands who lose it after getting older, Stereolab's latest effort is their best since Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Not as indulgent and loungy as their last couple recordings; sort of a continuation of the smooth electronic pop on Dots & Loops, but with a warmer ETK-style production. There's not a song quite as catchy as "Captain Easy Chord", but overall, this is a more consitent effort than Sound Dust...and more upbeat with a bit more ETK-style guitar songs and more techno/disco grooves. Support bands who make well-crafted and distinctive music and buy this album.

The Lab is back!:
Of the handful of Stereolab albums I have been privileged to hear, this one is in the high ranks. On Margerine Eclipse, the Lab is as upbeat, energetic and funky as ever. While not quite as brilliant as Dots and Loops, it comes pretty darn close. The cover is a ridiculously bright, tangerine orange and that is exactly how the music sounds, bright orange. Utilizing their trademark mix of 60's flavored French pop, funky grooves, exotica and the Velvet Underground, this album will be no surprise to longtime fans. Full of percolating rhythms, sparkling keyboards and shimmering guitars, Stereolab still sound like no one else, but this is one of their most accessible releases to date, staying clear of the more experimental tendencies that made '99's Cobra and Phases Group a difficult listen, instead perfecting their pop song strengths. "La Demeure" is a slice of pure pop a la mode that will make you want to spend the rest of your life listening to Latetia Sadier's voice. "...sudden stars" is effortlessly laid back dream pop with funky popping and bubbling rhythms. And the lite house groove of "Margerine Melody" will sweep you up and make you its permanent dance partner. Everything here is warm, organic and lovely...and tremendously addictive.

So, so good...:
The first great album of 2004... This album is just about perfect from start to finish. Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream.

Even better than (insert favorite 'lab album here):
I think this is Stereolab's strongest album to date. I've always liked Stereolab's earlier stuff, when they sounded more like a band and less electronica-ish. This album includes a lot of sampling and electronica sounds, but is way more live sounding than the three albums starting with Dots and Loops and ending with First of the Microbe Hunters. The opening track seemed a bit inauspicious the first time through the album, but over time has only gotten better and better. The same is true of all the tracks on this effort. I had the good fortune of seeing a lot of these songs performed live at the Roxy in Boston last spring, and it confirmed my suspicions that these songs are the most beautiful and well constructed pieces of art that Stereolab has conjured. Well done!

• Vonal Diclosion
• Need to Be
• ...Sudden Stars
• Cosmic Country Noir
• La Demeure
• Margerine Rock
• The Man With 100 Cells
• Margerine Melodie
• Hillbilly Motorbike
• Feel and Triple
• Bop Scotch
• Dear Marge