Peng! [Vinyl], Stereolab, Vinyl

Stereolab: Seaya (Laetitia) Sadier (vocals, Moog synthesizer); Tim Gane (guitar, Farfisa organ, Moog synthesizer); Martin Kean (bass); Joe Dilworth (drums). Recorded in London, England in April 1992. Originally released in 1992, PENG! is the second full-length album by sonic experimentalists Stereolab. Sometimes jam-packed with thundering keyboards and driving drums, at other times ethereal, airy and light, PENG! captures this thinking man's band at the early stages of its prolific career. Emulating aspects of the Velvet Underground's rhythms as well as the Moog-happy keyboard euphonies of the early 1970s, Stereolab's far left-of-center pop vision has always been something of a love-'em-or-hate-'em proposition. Longtime fans familiar with the band's later work will find interest in this early recording--it includes the moody, cafe-styled "K-Stars" sung fetchingly in French by Leatitia Sadier. There's also the dry, rub-a-dub guitar of "Perversion," which is more a dissertation over post-modern music than some boring old song: "In our Christian society there's something wrong with having pleasure." Rock 'n' roll! --Muze