Got back from DC and was happy to return to the Ratatat record sitting in the mailbox. Not only did the good people at XL send over the CD, they also sent over the first vinyl single from the record, “Wildcat, ” which includes a sick E*Vax remix on the A-side. What can be said about Ratatat that hasn’t already been said? The record has a cheetah or cougar, some kind of big cat, on the front. Fresh meat friends. Get ready for the kill. Satiate that bloodlust I know you all have for the untamable guitar-shredding-beat-binge. Arena rock meets bedroom beats.
Classics is an expansion of the typical Ratatat sound and features some acoustic and slide guitar, sleigh bells and cello. It’s a much more rounded out instrumental sound, moving away from the over-the-top Monsters of Rock (not completely of course) toward a more progressive, expansive pallete of sounds. As always though, the boys write immediately arresting hooks, produce huge, angular breaks, and have a sound that is instantly identifiable. In 2006, that’s about as refreshing — and approproate — of a sound as I can think of. It’s not simply rock and beats together. It’s the evolution of equal love of both channeled into a unique product. It’s difficult to find comparisons to Ratatat off the top of my head. And that’s a fantastic thing.
RIYL: Battles, Midwest Product, Outhud, The Neptunes, E*Vax, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Joe Satriani
Ratatat :: “Lex” (via Call Me Mickey blog)
Ratatat :: “Wildcat” (from Ratatat’s MySpace page)
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