Sinfonias Para Terricolas

ALBUM | MODULAR (MUSIC GROUP)

BY STEWART MASON

Stereolab's retro-futuristic vision lives on in Argentina.

There is an unapologetic mid-'90s Stereolab vibe to this Argentinean band's debut for the Spanish cult label Elefant Records. From the spangly, whirring vintage synthesizers to Mariana Badaracco's coolly deadpan bilingual vocals to the obvious fascination with '60s European film soundtracks and bubblegum pop...heck, even the sleeve design looks kinda Stereolabby. At least they come by it honestly: Sinfonias Para Terricolas (Symphonies for Spacesuits, roughly) was produced by Stereolab drummer Andy Ramsay and keyboardist Joe Watson. And while it's undeniable that there's a certain tribute-act quality to the album, Modular mimic their obvious inspirations so well, and with such charming and memorable tunes, that it's hard for a Stereolab fan not to be completely smitten.