Adventures in Stereo

Adventures in Stereo's second self-titled disc is another sunshine-filled pop gem to file right next to the other in the stack of best pop records of the late '90s. The combination of Simon Dine's fun house loops and samples, Jim Beattie's knack for creating melodies, and Judith Boyle's surprisingly soulful vocals make for a record that will make you smile every time you hear it and leave you wondering just how they pulled off such a deceptively simple trick. Dine is the true hero of the group (as the fairly disappointing records the band made after his departure bear out). He fashions a dreamy Wall of Sound made out of bits and pieces of half-remembered '60s pop songs, looping them until they sound like the work of a mad scientist. The best songs are the up-tempo movers like "Traffic," "You Hurt Me More Than You Know," "Baby's So Rich," and the bopping "For Someone Special." Some of the moodier tracks get a touch bogged down in post-Portishead gloom. Still, tracks like the vaguely Indian "Sleep," the insistent "God Save Us," or the backwards "That's What I Hear" are more inventive and downright exciting than almost anything going on in 1997. Ironically, the best song on the album is the one with the least amount of samples and orchestration "Remain Again Again" is a heart string-plucking ballad that swirls and eddies like the tide going out on a love affair. It, and the simple yet beautiful "Gone Too Far," prove that the band is not just a gimmick but a true band full of heart and soul and love. Adventures in Stereo are the sound of the memories of girls groups lost and C-86 bands killed before their time, they are frosting right out of the container, they are the sound of Top 40 radio on Venus. They were, for a very brief moment, the best thing going in pop music. See if you can find this and their other self-titled classic. Relive a moment that never was. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide