Stereolab: Oscillons From the Anti-Sun : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Stereolab never fit into categories - they had too much technology for indie rock and too much guitar for techno, and they evolved too fast for listeners to follow, with Laetitia Sadier's quizzical French-girl vocals and Tim Gane's rhythm guitar swimming in gadgets, synths and strings. By the time fans caught up with the organ-drenched "Sister Ray" grooves of its 1992 Switched On Stereolab, the band had already moved on to the Space Age Moog pastiche of 1994's Mars Audiac Quintet. So this three-disc sampler is a great place to catch up. Stereolab mix up lush lounge balladry ("Wow and Flutter"), bad Sixties Eurojazz ("Captain Easychord"), psychedelic guitar ("Golden Ball") and cha-cha-cha marimba ("With Friends Like These"). The peak is "Cybele's Reverie," from Stereolab's most beloved album, 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup -- easy-listening pop for groovy aliens.