After we listened to about half of this new Ratatat album here in the office, The Commish leaned over to me and said: "Man, I keep waiting for a whiny indie rock male vocalist to come in! This is great!" Indeed, the duo's new shit is a pleasant listening experience from front to back – clean, synthy and instrumental, sounding alternately like the soundtrack to the lost level of Castlevania and… uhh, one of those video game song cover bands on Kill Rock Stars. I know you've probably seen these dudes (all bearded and indie rock) and read reviews about how they're so "infectious" and "dancey," but honestly this is just some nice ass headphone music with a steady beat and a mellow temperament. Even the single, "Wildcat(1)" (which makes me think of Eli Cash), isn't super-hype – but it's more than suitable for a little downtempo mixtape/set where you wanna add a little excitement. Tracks like "Swisha(2)" prove Ratatat's worth by swapping out any notion of danceability for a gorgeous, lush spaghetti western update. "Lex(3)" and "Tropicana(4)" show a bit of bombast for the usually restrained pair. Maybe I'm not explaining this well, or making it sound a bit boring… but it's not. For really real. A solid indie LP in a time when solid indie LPs are increasingly hard to come by. 10 tracks; 42 minutes.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red