“Rating agencies, financial markets and the G20 were not elected by the people / In the name of what are we letting them govern our lives?” No, it’s not the first fruits of Laetitia Sadier's ‘Songwriting In The Style Of The Kazakhstan National Anthem’ night class, but a transcription of an actual phone call made by a protesting phone-in listener. This unflinching, elementary observation informs much of the Stereolab singer’s work on this, her second solo set.

The likes of ‘The Rule Of The Game’ and ‘There Is A Price To Pay For Freedom (And It Isn’t Security)’ are cool and unwavering political tracts. Backed by spare arrangements (organ, acoustic guitar, minimal percussion), it’s some remove from the buzz and thrum of her day job. Casual observers up for ‘French Disko’ thrills should look elsewhere. Mostly reflective, though a couple of tracks shift up a gear or two, its appeal is probably limited to those open to something more down tempo. The spoken word mood piece ‘Invitation Au Silence’ is unsettling but fascinating. As protest albums go, Silencio offers cool dissection rather than fist-waving polemic.