Stereolab - Switched On
Too Pure – 1992
As soon as you switch on this debut album, you are met with the freshness of the female-led, guitar-pop band’s sound; which is now so familiar in our hearts and ears. The stylish opener, 'Super-Electric' defines the melodic ideas and swirly ambience, which have sustained for the many subsequent years of Stereolab’s existence, being reshaped, refined and refried (one for the fans of 95’s Switched On Vol. 2) into the beautiful amalgamation of mood and tune that is Stereolab today. The epitome of all that is right with music.
This premier offering presents the roots of a band that have grown so much over their near decade-and-a-half-long career, yet have never lost that sense of identity that makes the Stereolab sound so instantly recognisable today, despite line-up changes and drastic musical redirection.
The influence of The Velvet Underground and Kraftwerk can certainly be heard on tracks two and three, in the pounding drums and chords and Nico-esque vocal of 'Au Grand Jour’' and the unmistakable noise of the Moog on 'Doubt'. The songs bubble away throughout this 44-minute long-player, injecting themselves into your memory to be stuck there for days (possibly centuries) to come.
'The Way Will Be Opening' continues the thread of relaxing sound, catchy and chirpy as always and then leads into 'Brittle' which wakes you up at number six, kicking off with a more heavily distorted guitar and sounding like a Monster-era R.E.M., a band also commonly associated with, and often found under the influence of The Velvet’s sound (check out their cover of 'Femme Fatale', if you haven’t already.)
'Contact’s long intro brings you back to the chillout zone with its jazzy tremolo feel, reminiscent of Muse’s underrated B-side 'Niche'. After the surprise realisation that that song lasted an entire five minutes longer than you thought it did, clocking in at 8:17, 'Au Grand Jour' comes on (not to be confused with 'Au Grand Jour’' at number 3.) Same song essentially as before, but different in structure musically, this time sounding like a Document-era R.E.M.
The pop sensibility of this LP that swamps the social wariness of the lyrics delivers a most euphoric pleasure as the listener slooshies, and it reaches its poppy-peak in the vocal chorus line of ‘I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I’m sorry…’ on 'High Expectation'. Stunning. The penultimate track, 'The Light That Will Cease To Fail' provides a suitable metaphor for the consistency of the album and the group, in fact.
'Changer' finishes the mini-masterpiece off, sung sexily in Seaya Sadier’s (as credited on this release) native, romantic language of French. The song brings the early album to a close by summing up all that’s gone before in one small opus of benevolence and smiles. The now trade-mark Stereolab vocal style is toned to perfection, the refreshing jangle of Tim Gane’s guitar ever smoothly present and the pounding, pumping tempo-setting of Joe Dilworth’s drums and Martin Kean’s bass leave us with a sense of contentment and an anticipation for all that is to follow. Thank you Stereolab.
Their influence can be found in so many places in music today from Blur (Sadier’s vocals being those heard on the 1994, number 16 single 'To The End') to Radiohead’s unique Kid A. From Snow Patrol’s strange sound to the softer Pumpkins stuff and beyond. Stereolab are a band whose importance shouldn’t be underestimated and 'Switched On' is where it all began. Preceding the commercial success of 'Lo Boob Oscillator', this album provides the blueprint for the hit underground sound of 60’s bubblegum psychodelia that would become so popular in the 90s.
Although rough in places, it’s a jolly enjoyable listen and a monumental historic moment marking the birth of a band, strong enough musically to still be at large today and with an immeasurable amount of influence to be remembered for years to come.