Album Review: Ratatat's LP3

When “Shiller”—the opening track of Ratatat's third studio album, LP3—was released in May, it was clear they were parting ways from their past albums. Like “Shiller”, LP3 is more technical than previous efforts by the band, which consists of Mike Stroud on guitar and Evan Mast on keyboards. The album sees the two experimenting with different styles; utilizing dynamics rather than dramatics and exploring other genres.

LP3 makes an impact with widespread songs that span everything from hard, upbeat roars to flowing piano-heavy reggae-dub. The album clearly shows that the two musicians are versatile, but it doesn't do much else to impress and some of the songs seem to be unnecessarily abridged.

Ratatat Broadens Horizons on LP3

LP3 is distinctive from other Ratatat's previous albums (2004's Ratatat and 2006's Classics) because ofits sound. Mast and Stroud have turned down the volume in order to show how musically inclined they are. Instead of wailing guitars, screeching synthesizers, and enormous beats, the band retreats to a softer instrumentation with more variation between instruments. There are still solos (such as the entire second half of “Imperials”), but the two musicians have stepped back in order to let the technicalities do the talking.

Although the mood and tempo of the music fluctuates, Ratatat generally calmed things down on LP3, which allows them to experiment with different playing styles. Elaborate drum kits in songs like “Bird Priest” show a combination of Eastern influences and hip-hop beats in a similar execution as M.I.A (although with completely different results). Varied keyboard effects in songs make “Mumtaz Khan” seem foreign and “Mirando” sound like Crystal Castles.

Sadly, the guitar often takes the backseat. Although he has his moments, Stroud is usually in the background, where he utilizes clever harmonies and counter-melodies which accent the song. The best example of this cooperation is the closer, “Black Heroes”, which sounds like the victory song in a video game. Both players know their way around a sheet of music, and on LP3 their musical knowledge and expertise comes out and puts showmanship temporarily in the backseat.

Album Cuts off Songs, Too Scattershot

Where the album gets points for trying out new sounds and styles, it gets penalized for being indecisive and failing to really diversify. At best, LP3 is an electronic album with world influences. At worst, itpicks a niche to fit in (the vast mix of Eastern and electronic music) and gropes around there for new ideas to varying success. Songs like “Shempi” and “Mi Viejo” follow this general pattern and seem to go on forever with nothing interesting to support them. It's often a relief to find old-school Ratatat songs like “Falcon Jab”, as they give the album some ground to stand on.

Another major complaint about the album is centered on its length. The album runs an average forty-two minutes, but some of the songs run on far too long, while others are cut short. The two shortest songs on the album—“Gypsy Threat” and “Flynn”—both clock in at under two minutes, yet they show great potential for development. It makes one wonder how some of the less interesting songs push four minutes, but the gems go unnoticed.

6.75/10—LP3 can be a fairly inaccessible album for those new to Ratatat. There is a lot of artistic development, but it often flounders and muddies what could be something brilliant. For die-hard fans and those who like the genre.

Check out Ratatat here.

LP3 Cover

Ratatat

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