Music Review: Laetitia Sadier, Something Shines

By Melissa Bratcher

On her third solo album, Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier treads her accustomed ground, while also shaking things up. Something Shines sounds like a Stereolab record, with space rock, jittering ‘60s tropicalia, and her trademark rich, distant alto. It also shatters song structure, abruptly changing to another style of music whilst in the middle of a song, like a collage. It’s a sometimes-frustrating album, with moments of brilliance.

The opening track, “Quantum Soup,” is dominated by an engaging bass line and Sadier’s ghostly vocals. It builds and splits into a spacey, bold overture of sounds that goes on a bit long at seven experimental minutes. It has the feeling of someone throwing all of the noises at a metaphoric wall and seeing what sticks. Not much of it sticks in the ear, but it does set the tone for the album. Luckily, the following track, “Then, I Will Love You Again,” is a focused, straightforward antidote. It’s catchy with jangling guitars and crisp horns, and showcases Sadier’s signature vocal style. When she slips into falsetto, it is truly beautiful.

“Release From The Centre Of Your Heart” is another straightforward track that shuns the space pop vibe. It could be pulled from AM radio in the ‘70s, again with horns and a serious groove. Sadier’s smooth, lovely alto is presented here in all its languid glory. This would be a great single; it’s concise and winning.

“The Scene Of The Lie” begins with a jaunty keyboard line, but then mellows to an expansive, reverb-drenched psychedelic trip. Sadier’s voice is accompanied by what sounds like a flute, and it becomes a most extraordinary sound, otherworldly and gooseflesh inducing. “Butter Side Up” is another collage like track, very spacey and very Stereolab-like. Two minutes in, it picks up with handclaps and “aah’s” and a juddering bass line. It becomes mesmerizing. Then, it slips back into a dreamlike dirge. It feels a bit mad.

Not all the songs land right. The minimalist and stark “Transhumance” comes off more than a little creepy and robotic. “The Milk Of Human Tenderness” is not entirely wonderful, but could be the soundtrack to a Douglas Sirk movie.

The final track, “Life Is Winning,” is a pure pleasure. Upbeat and sung in French with sparkly horns (and Sadier’s trademark “aah’s”), it is hopeful and sunny. “Life Is Winning” ends on a crushingly beautiful overtoned harmony. It’s a glorious way to close out the record.

Something Shines is a portrait of an artist in flux. The similarities to Stereolab aren’t a surprise, but the moments when she stretches past her old band are quite arresting. The more focused songs (“Then, I Will Love You Again” and “Release From The Centre Of Your Heart”) are beguiling. While it is an artist’s prerogative to experiment, when she reins herself in, she is capable of such wonderful music.

Something Shines was released on September 23 through Drag City.