Stereolab albums remain somewhat of a quandary for this reviewer. I’m always torn between a desire to hear new and challenging ideas, but then find myself crying out for more of the same if they deviate in any way from their classic template – one that has been steadily tweaked and perfected over nine studio albums.
Tim Gane and his band left things very late when it came to Chemical Chords – having only one week to write the main body of music – after soundtrack obligations ran overtime. With no access to drummer Andy Ramsay during the album’s inception, Gane elected to sequence countless drum loops for rhythmic inspiration. Chord sequences were rapidly improvised on guitar, later fleshed out with piano and vibraphone and then presented to respective band members and Sean O’Hagan of the High Llamas, who provided all the string and brass arrangements for embellishment. The resulting 14 tracks are some of their best work. Their last release Margerine Eclipse in 2004 was widely regarded as long overdue. They have consistently struggled to reach the heights of their mid 90s popularity and quality of releases such as Transient Random Noise Burst With Announcements and Mars Audiac Quintet. Chemical Chords is not necessarily a return to this classic era stylistically, it’s merely a jump in standard and a far more cohesive work than the previous few releases – possibly due to the tight time constraints. O’Hagan’s contributions, jerkier unconventional rhythms, catchy direct choruses and punchy song structures make this album far more compelling than most Stereolab releases. Laetitia Sadier’s vocal delivery remains unavoidably twee, but is suitably toned down this time thankfully. Gane’s recent soundtrack work with O’Hagan clearly has had a visible influence on the new material, not to mention the obvious Motown and Kent references that are in the retro rhythms, organs and guitar sound. Chemical Chords should put a smile on every Stereolab fan out there, and may even manage to convert a few non-believers in the process.
