STEREOLAB Featuring: Ui, DJ Spooky At: Liberty Lunch, 405 W. Second St. Date: Thursday Time: 8 p.m.

The members of Stereolab usually have more fashion sense than this, but maybe it was just cold.

JENNY BARBEE Daily Texan Staff

"They don't want people to be free. It starts with tobacco, and who knows where it'll end."

From somewhere in Albuquerque, N.M., Laetitia Sadier, singer and lyricist of Stereolab, prepares for Halloween with the story of a scary, city-wide public smoking ban that she encountered the night before in Boulder, Co. It is not surprising that she sees the ominous undertones of this law, considering that the band's discography is full of songs with socially and politically concerned lyrics.

Who better to interview on this holiday than a band that can mysteriously turn lyrics stating, for example, that "there is no sense in being interested in an ill person or unwell society if one cannot believe their readiness and the capacity for recovery," into the perfect soundtrack for a leisurely Sunday drive.

When set on top of Stereolab's thickly layered instrumentals, sitting next to Mary Hansen's innocent "La la las," and crooned in Sadier's hypnotic French accent, the social commentary becomes as deceptively pleasant as a Venus flytrap. In fact, the message of the music comes across so unobtrusively, we should be thankful that our politicians haven't picked up on the strategy.

Despite the fact that their lyrics would've gotten them burned at the stake in Salem, Sadier is modest about their impact, and the possibility that they may get them into trouble.

"We are such a small and insignificant band," she says, "that they [the dictators of social order, that is] are not going to pay attention to us. When you start getting to Nirvana's level, then you can start to get into trouble."

Though she would like to see Stereolab having an effect on a massive scale, she is more hopeful of becoming part of an influential movement. "We are doing our little part of the work, and other bands are doing theirs. I would like to be on Newsweek, but it's silly to think that is going to happen."

On this tour, two new faces will be contributing to that "little part of the work." Indeed, that new organ player is not merely Katherine Gifford in disguise, nor is the bass player simply a costumed Duncan Brown. Before the recording of their recent album, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Morgane Lhote entered the picture as the new organist. When Morgane moved to London from Paris, Sadier said that "She wanted to do music and I wanted to do music," and after time had passed, there was a desire to have another girl in the band.

"Morgane didn't even know the keyboard, so we told her she had two months. Her first gig was in front of a thousand people," Sadier recounts, amazed. "She was very brave to do that, I would've died."

Richard, the new bass player, also had to show quite a bit of bravery. He was introduced to the band by Morgane at a time when a bassist was sorely needed. For three months, "the 'Lab" had been playing with the bassist of Tortoise, who Sadier praises as "an amazing musician." New to the music community, Richard had a lot to live up to.

At first, the group feared that hiring him may have been too large a risk, but, after a while, things started to come together. Sadier states, "Now he has made his own place in the 'Lab, and I hope that it works out." She admits that, "It must be difficult for Morgane and Richard to come into a band with such a long history."

New members and all, Stereolab will be bringing its mesmerizing music to Liberty Lunch Thursday. Though admittedly excited about playing to a Halloween crowd, Sadier demurred when asked if the band would be in costume.

"We will look like fools if we don't do something," she answers. "You can expect some kind of metamorphosis, but I don't know about dressing up."

Maybe we should be scared.