Magnifique, their new opus, is a fourteen-track tour de force that will stand as one of their best.Ĭonceptual in its delivery, there are specific “Intro” and “Outro” tracks and ballady interludes (instrumentals within the instrumentals?) that bring reprieve between aggressive bangers. Ratatat’s longevity is due to their supremely inventive use of effects-most notably their signature synthy guitar lines, a singular sound in rock and electronic music which leaves scant room for a wailing frontman. Not bad for two New York guys with just a bunch of electronics. And five records in, it’s hard to argue otherwise.As one of the most successful instrumental bands in recent memory, Ratatat has managed to sell a ton of records, tour with the likes of Interpol, Björk, and Daft Punk, and be the first band to play inside the Guggenheim Museum. But that’s also their most memorable and essential work, from Kid Cudi to their unofficial but rewarding remixes to the great Despot single produced by E*Vax. It's never seemed like their tone and vibe was substantial enough to last an entire album.

It seems confining to suggest that Ratatat's best music is often collaborative. Ratatat cleans it up and rehashes it, like the sleek reboots of last decade’s blockbuster hits. A quick listen to the Springwater original reveals something about the song’s stakes-and how it should affect the listener. Magnifique fades from memory as soon as it ends.įitting, then, that the most memorable song is a cover, the penultimate 'I Will Return', offered as an emotional climax to the record. Even when Ratatat spent earlier releases like they were specifically working this angle-the barest, most minimal take on party music suitable for coffee-shops-they backed it up with memorable hooks or tones. 'Nightclub Amnesia' works itself into a nice groove, complete with one of the album’s most memorable riffs, but it’s also hard to imagine the song working on any dancefloor or anywhere else than the tamest apartment get-together. An uncharitable soul will say that’s always been the knock on Ratatat, but, especially after a half-decade absence, it seems awfully relevant now. No matter how skillfully they may blend sounds, like on the dense 'Abrasive', or the playful if thin 'Cream on Chrome', or the lite-funk of 'Countach', nothing leaves an impression. But it disappears as unceremoniously as it came, leaving no real impression other than, 'oh that’s the song with the steel guitar.' This is Magnifique's real issue: It’s not that the album is bland, it’s that it doesn’t really do anything or go anywhere. There are little gestures at switching things up, like the steel guitar on 'Supreme'.

But, more often than not, Ratatat’s music has felt like a tasteful accessory, something that reminds you of other, more progressive electronic music, but mostly sounds great while trying on sweaters. When Ratatat were at their peak (for my money, 2006’s Classics), the duo crystallized an aesthetic that was similar to chillwave before chillwave existed: a rudimentary, simplistic dissection, then careful re-assembly of, modern music’s most elemental pieces (keyboards, guitars, beats) that amplified the simple beauty of the bare necessities and evoked layered feelings of nostalgia.

Magnifique ratatat wiki