BLOWIN' INDIE WIND

Author: ALISON LACIVITA

"Emperor Tomato Ketchup" begins a new chapter in the Stereolab novel, one that relies less on the Krautrock-ian chug-and-drone of earlier material in favor of more varied forms of expression. The cocktail-kitsch vibe of the late '60s is more prevalent than ever. And although there's a definite sense of faithfulness to these influences, there's more than enough new spins to keep things interesting.

Stereolab accomplishes quite a balancing act between "Emperor Tomato Ketchup's" 13 pop and experimental moments. Usually, the boundaries are flexible, creating compelling hybrids like "Slow Fast Hazel," with its string-tinged, lilting verses and keyboard-swelled, escalating choruses. The new forays are cool as hell, particularly the frosty trip-hop chill of the eight-minute opener "Metronomic Underground" and the mutant tropicalia of "Percolator."

The group's fascination with Brazilian textures also graces "Les Yper-Sound," which adorns a classic Laetitia Sadier melody with oscillating instrumental accompaniment and a firm rhythmic exoskeleton. Elsewhere, the acoustic strums and counterpoint harmonies of "Spark Plug" conjure up the catchiest melody of Tom Ze or Astrud Gilberto's wildest dreams.

Even the tracks rooted in Stereolab's earlier ideas are more fully developed, buoyed on by contributions from longstanding collaborator Sean O'Hagan (of The High Llamas) and Tortoise/The Sea & Cake member John McEntire, who would go on to produce the band's next two albums (it is his distinctive way with the vibes that you hear at the end of "Tomorrow Is Already Here"). "OLV 26" resists the temptation to just drone forever, as analog keyboards bubble and whiz around Tim Gane's four-note guitar riff. The title track gets downright funky in a Can or Neu! kind of way, which is a great thing indeed.

But ultimately, it is the high-minded tracks that prove the most interesting, particularly "Cybele's Reverie" and "Monstre Sacre," one of Sadier's darker essays on society. "The Noise Of Carpet" (which has actually been covered by, of all admirers, Pearl Jam) isn't exactly serious, but its head-down delivery and undulating vocal melody rock with real conviction. Sadier's lyrics on "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" are rattled off in both English and French, at times obscuring the frequent Marxist themes just enough to get the point across.

"Emperor Tomato Ketchup" spotlights Stereolab at a point when it was moving more towards both jazz and electronica. Subsequent albums frequently went too heavy on each, but in "Emperor Tomato Ketchup", the assimilation process goes off pretty much without a hitch. This is very intelligent and well-constructed pop with a welcome new take on old musical ideals.