Not Music

True to its contrary title, Not Music both is and isn't Stereolab's last album: though it was released nearly two years after the band announced an extended hiatus, these 13 tracks were recorded during the same sessions as 2008's Chemical Chords. Indeed, not only are "Two-Finger Symphony" and "Pop Molecules (Molecular Pop 2)" titled as direct sequels to songs on Chemical Chords, Not Music also includes remixes of that album's "Silver Sands" and "Neon Beanbag," by The Emperor Machine and Atlas Sound, respectively. So it's best to think of Not Music as an analogue to Stereolab's Switched On series of singles, remixes, and outtakes rather than as a proper album; on the other hand, much of the band's best material came to light on the various Switched On albums, so this is no bad thing. Even more than on the perky Chemical Chords, there is a decided lightness of mood here, a playful quality that had largely been missing from Stereolab's records since the death of key member Mary Hansen (she of the lighter-than-air wordless harmonies) in late 2002. A palpable joy radiates from danceable tunes like "Equivalencies" and the sparkling opener "Everybody's Weird Except Me," and the dreamy "Delugeoisie" is one of their classic fusions of swooning Brazilian pop and German progressive polyrhythms. Not Music likely won't win Stereolab any new fans, but it's a bit late for that anyway, and the group's longtime followers will find much to enjoy.