Refried Ectoplasm (Switched on Vol. 2)

In proximity to all their gloriously conceptualized full-length albums, Refried Ectoplasm is surely an odd one, a motley collection of singles and rare tracks, each a miniature by a band whose career has been built on experiments that typically took a whole CD to flesh out. Refried, though, far exceeds the totality of its parts. The singles are distinct, and so not terribly obvious as cogs in a machine, but they're also almost flawless. Stereolab's keyboard colors are all over the place, lighting up "Lo Boob Oscillator," and Laetitia Sadier's droney, airy vocals seem ever in contrast to the music. A guitar-rich, even-rhythm universe prevails across these tracks, giving Refried a slow-burn fever that rings equally with grit and sonically playful quirks. It might be a collection of musical short stories in comparison to their sometimes weirdly epic novels, but it's in French and it's arty and squiggly. And by comparison, again, to their more keyboardy moments (of which there are many elsewhere in the band's catalog), this is a sonic tractor. --Andrew Bartlett