Laetitia Sadier
‘The Trip’
 (Drag City)

Considering that so much of it’s informed by the recent demise of her sister, there’s a remarkable vitality to Laetitia Sadier’s solo debut. Perhaps that’s because it’s the first record she has total responsibility for, or maybe the Stereolab singer is embracing their more relaxed pace nowadays; either way, there’s some tremendous work on show here. ‘One Million Year Trip’ is a fantastic opener, its lovely languor and Spartan saunter disguising the distressed subject matter, ‘Statues Can Bend’ is the most satisfying blast of sophisto-pop she’s made in years and her version of ‘Un Soir, Un Chien’ comes, unexpectedly but deliciously, drenched in Donna Summery sauce. ‘The Trip’’ s a trifle trifling in parts, admittedly, but Sadier’s evidently thriving outside of the confines of the ‘Lab…

Iain Moffat