There’s nothing better than having your name on something in big letters. Papa John felt it when he franchised his pizza; dumb kids feel it when they write their name in wet concrete for future generations of dumb kids. Laetitia Sadier hasn’t really had that privilege, except in the details on Stereolab liner notes or behind “Featuring…” (Atlas Sound’s “Quick Canal,” for example, or Mice Parade’s 2007 self-titled). The last time she tried to break free from Stereolab (if only superficially), the rupture was half-assed. The resulting band, Monade, was hardly a solo endeavor, as evinced by the fact that Sadier wasn’t exactly alone (hence the word “band”).
Now that Stereolab is on hiatus, Laetitia is going all the way and releasing her first truly solo album, The Trip, under her own name (that’s when you know it’s legit). Okay, so on this debut album, Laetitia’s not entirely alone — she worked with a few guests (Richard Swift, April March, Julien Gasc, and Emmanuel Mario) — but it seems a little cheap to nitpick. She wrote all but three songs on the album (two are covers of “By the Sea and “Un Soir, Un Chien,” by Wendy & Bonnie and Les Rita Mitsouko, respectively), and with that voice, how can you go wrong?
The Trip is out on September 21 from Drag City.
Tracklist:
01. One Million Year Trip
02. Fluid Sand
03. Our Interest Are the Same
04. The Natural Child
05. Statues Can Bend
06. By the Sea
07. Unfasten
08. Un Soir, Un Chien
09. Another Monster
10. Ceci Est le Coeur
11. Summertime
12. Release, Open Your Little Earthling Hands
• Laetitia Sadier: http://www.myspace.com/laetitiasadier
• Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com
