While the two years between
Dots and Loops and
Cobra resulted in stagnation, the two years separating
Cobra and
Sound-Dust find
Stereolab deliberately recharging their creative juices, delving deeper into
avant-garde composition and '60s
swing pop in equal measures. As the album opens with the minimal
"Black Ants in Sound-Dust," it's evident that the group has restructured and pushed forward, even if it means that they're adhering to their time-honored tradition of expanding their trademark sound with new arrangements and influences. Frankly, after the stagnation of
Cobra, any movement forward is welcome, and initially the record seems like a bold move forward -- a
Stereolab instrumental album where the arrangements and production take the proper forefront, since every recording since
Amorphous Body Center has illustrated that that's the group's real strength. Then,
"Captain EasyChord" kicks in with a familiar, albeit catchy, mid-tempo
lounge groove and
Laetitia Sadier's singsong vocals, and the album is immediately anchored in overly familiar territory. And that's the biggest problem with
Sound-Dust -- by this point the group's melodies,
singalong choruses, and Marxist platitudes no longer sound fresh, they often sound like a straightjacket, preventing the group from pushing forward into new territory. After all, if it's taken on a pure sonic level,
Sound-Dust can often be quite pleasing and intriguing, especially the sophisticated horn and flute arrangements, which producer
Jim O'Rourke makes lushly alluring. It's hard not to wish that the entire record was constructed simply of instrumentals of this sort, since that's when
Stereolab sounds fully recharged and gorgeous. As it stands, the album is held back by their insistence on simple songs and simple vocals that keep the record earthbound and solely the province of the already converted. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Sound-Dust [Expanded Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5060384617077_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg)
![Sound-Dust [Expanded Edition]](http://vs-images.bn-web.com/static/redesign/srcs/images/grey-box.png?v11.11.1)
![Sound-Dust [Expanded Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5060384617077_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg)
![Season High [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072024939_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Season High [LP]")
![[Clear with Silver & Lavender Splatter Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0617308056952_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "[Clear with Silver & Lavender Splatter Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]")
![Notes on a Conditional Form [Clear Vinyl]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602577658525_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Notes on a Conditional Form [Clear Vinyl]")
![Fever To Tell [15th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602557902327_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Fever To Tell [15th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]")
