• 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.

I learned yesterday afternoon, thanks in part to the latest Aural Exploits newsletter, that Ratatat have a new 7″ single that is out now. Yesterday marked the drop date for “Shiller,” the lead single from Ratatat’s new album, LP3 (in stores on July 8th courtesy of XL). “Shiller” is the first offering of new Ratatat material since 2006’s Classics (a favorite of mine). The interesting thing about the “Shiller” single is that it is accompanied by “Mahalo,” a cut that is, according to the sleeve, “from the forthcoming album: LP4.” Are there two Ratatat albums on the way? The band hasn’t released any definitive information yet. As soon as a tracklisting (and any other information on new Ratatat releases) is released for LP3 , I will be sure to post it here. My copy of “Shiller” should be arriving in the next few days.

*5/12/08: Saul comes through with streams of both of the new songs.