Socialisme Ou Barbarie

Home recordings from the voice and one of the chief songwriters of Stereolab, Laetitia Sadier. Her distinctive alto vocals are here, as are the lyrical concerns personal and social (n.b., the album's title), as are the hummable melodies. And a couple of 'labbers plus a couple of Pramsters fill out the sound a bit. What's different? Well, obviously, the arrangements are much simpler, giving the album a much more intimate feel, which is, of course, the point of bedroom recordings. The simple rhythm box rhythms betray the influence of Young Marble Giants. Also, there are more French songs. Overall, the mellow comedown from a hyper-catchy 'lab album.

1. Appropriately titled "Finally Alone", this is a somber song with a sort of nice horn part
2. The sad reedy melodica is such a nice accent on this fuzzy melody
3. Short, simple Casiotone tune
4. Slow, loping, mellow cowboy-song guitar rhythm, thin vocals, queasy synth blaaaaaarp
5. Somewhat distracting unison of vocals and guitar lines, but the organ and cello (sounds) in the background are a distraction from that distraction
7. Beautiful instrumental waltz
8. Warbly ballad
9. Jolly fine but short instrumental
11. Thumpy, stalking rhythm alternates with lightly strummed electric guitar; may induce dreams of placid Provençal summer mornings
12. More of the sweet strumming; Sadier finally (almost) belts out a vocal instead of her usual detached style