Monstre cosmic (Bonus Track Edition)

The side project of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, Monade continues in a dreamlike glaze of French pop. Album number three, 2008’s Monstre Cosmic, began as a conscious attempt to write an entire album as if it were one long track that never repeats a melodic theme but instead meanders like a river. Sadler maintains this was achieved for the individual tracks “Lost Language” and “Invitation” (it’s debatable), however, practical concerns and a shifting cast of musicians altered the album’s eventual outcome and the songs do feature proper repeating hooks and other recurring themes. Sadler mostly relies on Monade mainstay keyboardist and guitarist Nicolas Etienne and Stereolab multi-instrumentalist Joe Watson to orchestrate (with help from the Bordeaux Conservatoire) and color this Technicolor world that isn’t far removed from the basic Stereolab floor plan. (“Etoile,” “Elle Topo” and “Messe Joyeuse” are highlights.) Additional tracks came together in a spontaneous collaboration with a musician collective from Toulouse that weave seamlessly into the Monade fabric.