Jul 15 2008
Ratatat - LP3
- Artist: Ratatat
- Album: LP3
- Label: XL
- Release: 2008
- Links: Official Site, MySpace
Many critics piled criticism upon Ratatat’s last album (2006’s Classics), but I never fully grasped their reasoning. What they saw as “too mellow” I viewed as a band exploring new, thoughtful depths. Classics made me an avid fan of this electronic duo. Although Classics isn’t a perfect album, several of its tracks are as good as anything they have ever done. On LP3, Ratatat diversify their instrumentation slightly. In comparison to the tight composure of their first two albums, LP3 sounds messy at times, but its loose energy provides a handful of new Ratatat staples.
There are tracks on LP3 that recall Classics stylistically. “Falcon Jab” even samples the wildcat sound from “Wildcat.” However, it is evident that Ratatat are still evolving, as noted on the excellent first single “Shiller.” This and tracks like the enormous “Shempi” bare little resemblance to anything in the Ratatat catalogue. It is refreshing to hear Mike Stroud and Evant Mast unhinged, but the album lacks a central theme or sound and suffers because of it. Their previous efforts were so well-defined, which I never would have guessed if LP3 were my introduction to their music.
If there were more songs on LP3 as good as “Mumtaz Khan,” I’d be singing a different tune. This track showcases new influences (gypsies obsessed with Robert Fripp?) while providing an intense nod to the spastic guitar sound that has become such a trademark of Ratatat’s music. My gripe about LP3’s identity crisis isn’t helped by its over-generous helping of 13 tracks. There’s some definite filler here and it kills me to hear something like “Gipsy Threat” when I know how much more Stroud and Mast are capable of. Ratatat are already rumored to be nearing completion on LP4. I hope that album offers a more cohesive vision of where Stroud and Mast are taking Ratatat next.
Ratatat will be at the Black Cat on October 2nd.