When you think of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier having a bedroom-recording project, what comes to mind? When The Streets first came into being and the press said their debut was recorded in Mike Skinner’s bedroom, I imagined a dark and dank little grief-hole, with left over casserole on a plate under the bed and underwear hanging from the radiator. With Sadier, it has to be a classier working environment. You can’t imagine her having to slide her copy of Zoo magazine down the back of the wardrobe when her friends come round. But this is far more than a bedroom project, far more than a hobby. With a four piece band in place, Monade is every bit as much a band as Stereolab, and every bit as good.The is first album for Monade to be recorded in a professional studio, the debut Socialisme Ou Barbarie released back in April cataloguing the more DIY material. On first listen, it is not a huge departure from her day job, but when you delve a bit deeper you can see that this is smoother, more luxurious and dreamlike than the quirky experimental pop of Stereolab. The lyrics are sung in a combination of French and English, with greater warmth evident in her vocal. So whilst 'Lost Language' sounds like a continuation of 2006’s Fab Four Suture, songs like 'Elle Toppe' are the opposite, with laid back guitars weeping across the patterned piano lines. Guitar is evident throughout this album, be it invitingly jangly on 'Messe Joyeuse' or picked acoustics on 'Regarde'.  The better tracks are towards the end, in particular 'Invitation', moody and dramatic, subtly orchestrated so the strings never overpower the melody. ‘Tout En Tour Est Un’ is also great, full of heavy bass and a repetitive piano refrain. The finest moment though comes with ‘Entre Chien Et Loup’, an eclectic, shifting piece taking a musical journey into a variety of styles. Here is a really good album that deserves to be appreciated on its own terms and not just by association with the mother band. 82%Links Monade [official site] [myspace]