Monade is the side project of Laetitia Sadier, vocalist for ever-popular Stereolab. As such I could probably end the review right there and you’d have a decent idea of what you are in for, but Monstre Cosmic is a unique album that deserves an in-depth treatment. For beyond the inevitable and completely appropriate parallels between this project and Stereolab is a sound that is rich and engrossing in a preternaturally fresh way.

In passing, Monade’s sound is still that cocktail-infused, electronic jazz/pop hybrid that you are familiar with. Sadier’s beautiful vocals, which are so uniquely her own, speckle the album with whimsical lyrics that flit easily between English and French, creating an exotic yet comfortably familiar tone throughout. The album has the sensibilities of a great French film soundtrack. It is warm and sunny with just a touch of melancholy, ready for a trip around Paris on a bright spring day.

Monstre Cosmic’s strength is in its diversity. An immediate reaction to openers Noir-Noir, and Etoile will leave you thinking of Stereolab, and wondering what the necessity of this side project might be. Then Lost Language comes in and it is here, with the inclusion of strings and a new sound that the broader picture appears before you. The moody and magical are swirled together and the result is an album that is both modern and classic – a product of today’s indie scene and the movies of the 60s. The broody “El Toppo” has a heavy guitar presence, and songs such as Tout En Tout Est Un, and Entre Chien Et Loup continue this wistful tone. Monade still bounces back into proper Stereolab-esque form, but the tracks are just as cool and charming as you might expect.

While Monstre Cosmic may not top any of Sadier’s work in the eminent Stereolab, Monade’s third release aims for a middle ground between her classic sound and something completely different. What that is, I am not entirely certain, but it is a testament to Sadier’s skills as a musician that she can take a group of artists and create something that is both gentle and edgy, emulating that classic sound without losing any of the charm or personality in the process.