View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.0 (33 ratings)
- Date Released: July 8, 2008
- Genre: Electronic
- Label: XL Recordings
Ratatat came up with a lovely little summer record. Who knew?
-
We Say...
You could be easily excused for assuming that, along with a pair of delirious remix CDs, Brooklyn's Evan “E*Vax” Mast and journeyman guitarist Mike Stroud were the most excellent stone-fisted Decepticon Rock Band heroes around. If you lopped off the gloopy, leaden, downbeat filler that composed the lion's-share of their full-lengths, that's precisely what they were; their weaker moments came off half-formed and wilted next to the digi-shred bombast of the hits they surrounded.
But, even if Ratatat didn't go looking for subtlety, subtlety seems to have found them. They've just released their most varied, satisfying and enjoyable album to date while sounding like they just tripped over it on their way to the bodega. “Shiller” nods toward the bombastic with a sunburst of bit-crushed guitar, but underpins it with a melancholic little keyboard melody. It's this light, easy melancholy that's the killer app here, whether it be the faintly salsa-fied acoustic plucking on “Mi Viejo,” or the breezy doo-wop piano that bubbles under “Brulee.”
But this isn't a sad record, just a little lysergic, sun-dappled and strangely pretty in its way. It can also be a little surprising: “Mi Viejo” ends with a duet for tiny little hand drums, and “Shempi” becomes the closest thing to a Big Hit here simply by housing up a merry-go-round. Somehow, Ratatat came up with a lovely little summer record. Who knew? -
They Say...
On Ratatat's first two albums, the duo of Mike Stroud (guitar) and Evan Mast (programming/various instruments) developed a unique sound. Lodged in the sweet spot between hard rock (spiraling dual-guitar leads, crunching beats) and bedroom electronica (squirmy synths and lots of lo-fi invention), they crafted memorable songs with soaring melodies and huge hooks. On LP3 the duo has kept its unique guitar sound and the hooks but made a few subtle changes. They rely more on live drums and percussion throughout, but more important to the feel of the record is the use of a wide range of keyboards like piano, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, and harpsichord. Thanks to this more organic approach and the laid-back nature of many of the songs themselves, LP3 strikes an interesting balance between the late-night jams perfectly suited for driving abandoned city streets they are known for, like "Mirando" and "Shempi" on one hand, and fragile ballads like "Shiller" and "Black Heroes" on the other. It makes for a slightly fuller listening experience, only slightly because past albums weren't exactly one-dimensional, but still more fleshed-out and varied. Certainly the duo has never made a track as sticky sweet and summery as "Bruleé," and Ratatat haven't used acoustic guitars before as they do on the majestic "Mi Viejo." The short tracks (the Spaghetti western-inspired "Flynn" and cute music box melody "Gipsy Threat") that pop up as slightly corny interludes are a nice new touch, too. In the end, though, the record isn't that big a departure. Tracks like the sharp-as-a-sword "Mirando" and "Falcon Jab" would have fit right in on either of their previous albums, and the trademark Ratatat sound overlays the entire record. Instead of changing their sound to accommodate a wider palette of sounds, they wisely chose to incorporate them into their aesthetic. It's an inspired move that will help them keep their old fans and still allow the duo to progress musically.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 13 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 13 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
Shiller
|
4:17 |
|
| 02. | |
Falcon Jab
|
3:55 |
|
| 03. | |
Mi Viejo
|
2:40 |
|
| 04. | |
Mirando
|
3:52 |
|
| 05. | |
Flynn
|
1:55 |
|
| 06. | |
Bird-Priest
|
3:06 |
|
| 07. | |
Shempi
|
3:57 |
|
| 08. | |
Imperials
|
3:33 |
|
| 09. | |
Dura
|
3:07 |
|
| 10. | |
Bruleé
|
3:42 |
|
| 11. | |
Mumtaz Khan
|
2:37 |
|
| 12. | |
Gipsy Threat
|
1:37 |
|
| 13. | |
Black Heroes
|
4:09 |
|
13 Total Tracks, 42:27 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Ratatat, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by Ratatat fans
Credits
- Nilesh "Nilz" Patel - Mastering // Evan Mast - Producer // Mike Stroud - Producer
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC