A DEBUT: I was lucky enough to hear the original Stereolab lineup years ago, in Iowa City, with Sam Prekop as the opener. Stereolab was a word-of-mouth band. Once you heard them, it was easy to fall for their four/four beats, near jazz-like attention to detail, mix of English and French verses, and the airy vocals of Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen, who was killed after being hit by a lorry in England in 2002. Sadier’s debut solo record, “The Trip”, does have its Stereolab moments, with its sprawling instrumentation and vocal harmonies. But it’s more subtle than Stereolab, and in some ways sadder. “One Million Year Trip” finds Sadier singing about the suicide of her sister. The second track “Fluid Sand” also mentions suicide in the lyrics, waltzing with pretty-weaving vocal harmonies. This record is a real beauty. — David D. Robbins Jr.
Laetitia Sadier “One Million Year Trip” (via MBV)
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