VIVE LA STEREO

ALBUM REVIEW: STEREOtypical (Vive La Stereo)
STEREOtypical is the debut album from young producer Vive La Stereo (alias Matt Clissitt), and follows two successful mash-up EP’s that featured such hits as ‘Summer in the City’ (Mind the Track, 2007) and ‘Here come the Girls, Girls, Girls’ (Copywrong Material, 2008). This time, however, Vive La Stereo has opted to produce a 10 track LP that features all original material, written and produced by the unsigned Law graduate himself.
STEREOtypical presents an eclectic mix of feel-good acoustic guitars, synths and drum beats, all sat alongside the allure of some sophisticated and deep lyrics. The album opener ‘Moving On’ is a great introduction track that tackles the aftermath of a relationship in an upbeat and sing-along manner. Another highlight of the album is the following track ‘Friday Feeling’ which, aside from its catchy synthesized hook, will inevitably encourage any listener to look forward to the night ahead of a long, dragged out, Friday afternoon: “I’m gonna go out tonight, I’ve got nothing to lose”. The up-beat track also features some strong vocal layers and high-end production.
After the opening three, Vive La Stereo slows down the pace with a handful of tracks which show off his ability to offer depth in his own music. Both ‘Couldn’t Let It Go’ and ‘Here I Fall’ are not only rich in meaning but remain delivered in Vive La Stereo’s assorted, easy-listening style.
‘You’re Not In Love’ is arguably the stand out track of STEREOtypical, telling the story of two characters- John and Sam- through a refreshingly honest narrative on the naivety of young affection: “...and it’s been some time, since he’s seen his mates, ‘cos right now Johnny much prefers getting laid”. Not only does the track possess Vive La Stereo’s trademark melodic riffs and rich blend of synthesized layers, it also boasts verse lyrics which flow brilliantly and lead skilfully to the vocally sound chorus. It’s the type of song that has the ability to impact you on first listen and is easily capable of finding itself onto today’s generic Radio 1 playlist.
Though there are many positives to be found in Vive La Stereo’s debut album, it is difficult to detract from the impression that certain tracks are there simply to bulk out the album; ‘When I Was Young’ is best described as an instrumental with vocals, and ‘I Can’t Wait’ can, ironically, leave the listener waiting. This, however, is only to be expected, as if there wasn’t room for improvement in a debut album, then it would be very difficult to follow up. Vive La Stereo’s task now is to build upon these inexperiences.
The biggest irony of all however is that the album is anything but a stereotypical piece of production from a very talented 21 year old. Considering Vive La Stereo took only 6 months to write, record, and produce the album from start to finish, whilst also undertaking the rather laborious task of Law finals, its product is nothing short of a quite incredible feat. And with so many years ahead of this producer the next instalment from the Vive La Stereo account is eagerly anticipated. Definitely on to watch.
PAUL SOUTHEE Freelance Music Critique
Download: 1) You’re Not In Love 2) Friday Feeling 3) Moving On