Laetitia Sadier
Silencio
(Drag City)

Laetitia Sadier’s new album, Silencio, is hypnotic electronica at its finest. The album is accented with a dreamy ease of undulating rhythms accompanied by her dizzying vocals. Hazy guitars and melodies of synthesized effects help capture a feeling of sweetness for the past and a steady grasp to be had for the future. Despite complex rhythms and the sonic softness of Silencio, there comes a twist.

Sadier has garnered plenty of notoriety as the lead singer of the legendary powerhouse indie rock group, Stereolab. Silencio is her solo project and oozes with social-political textures. The album takes on a critical view of the hapless atrocities committed by mankind dealing with greed and criminality. This causes the album to feel both frantic and beautiful at the same time. Tempo shifts break loose from sonic hypnotics on songs such as “The Rule of the Game.” The otherworldly feel of Sadier’s voice is what captivates over and over again. Hints of moving drums, thick bass lines and punk-infused melodies work to ignite the song. Silencio, by all means, is a well-crafted indie pop album that spins atop a political platform. Both music and message work together to form an art house tour of pop with a purpose.