Stereo Type A in Bloomington, MN

Cibo Matto
's eagerly anticipated second album,
Stereo Type A
, reflects growth and change in the band's lineup and sound. Joining the core duo of
Yuka Honda
and
Miho Hatori
are new band member
Sean Lennon
and guests like
Arto Lindsay
,
Caetano Veloso
Sebastian Steinberg
of
Soul Coughing
, and
John Medeski
Billy Martin
Medeski, Martin & Wood
. The new additions reflect the changing sound of
: Relying less on samples and more on their latent funk and jazz elements,
Stereotype A
sounds like summer in New York -- eclectic, hot, and funky.
Hatori
's vocals are her most fluid and assured yet, and
Honda
's harmonies, particularly on
"Moonchild,"
add a dreamy undercurrent to the sound. Though the hip-hop of
"Sci-Fi Wasabi"
and filmic quality of
"Spoon"
(which originally appeared on the
Super Relax
EP) hearken back to old-school
's overall sound is more direct and less fanciful than of their debut album
Viva! La Woman
. Tracks like
"Clouds"
"Morning"
reflect a nice fusion of the group's old and new sounds, while the brassy
"Speechless"
and thrash metal of
"Blue Train"
round out a delightfully sunny collection from this diverse group. ~ Heather Phares