Page "Stereolab" Paragraph 24

Lætitia Sadier's French and English vocals have been a part of Stereolab's sound since the beginning.

She writes the group's lyrics, which tend to lean towards Marxist social commentary rather than " affairs of the heart " ( in the opinion of music journalist Simon Reynolds ).

In reference to Sadier's laid-back delivery, Peter Shapiro wrote in The Wire that she has all the " emotional histrionics " of 1960s German singer Nico.

Sometimes Sadier will just sing wordlessly along with the music.

Before Mary Hansen's death in 2002, she and Sadier would often trade vocals back-and-forth in a singsong manner that has been described as " eerie " and " hypnotic ".

Critic Jim Harrington commented that Hansen's absence is noticeable on live performances of Stereolab's older tracks, and that their newer songs could have benefited from her backing vocals.