Ratatat is back with their (you guessed it) third long-player and damn, these dudes have done it again! Even if "it" in this instance isn't so much a cohesive album as it is a collection of diverse and tough-to-describe compositions. From the baroque (baroqckue?), cinematic opener "Shiller(1)," it's clear that we're dealing with a more grown duo than we heard on Classics... although the the next track, "Falcon Jab(2)," is a tabla- and talkbox-infused scorcher that could stand right next to "Wildcat" and "Pipes" in the 'Tat ouvre. The main thing about LP3 is that even when the guys aren't full-on rocking, they're still producing beautiful results - check the lush "Mi Viejo(3)," "Black Heroes," and fractured "Imperials(4)," the latter of which could be a jam between Koushik, Four Tet and Animal Collective. Of course if you can't get enough of the rock, there's always the extremely Ratatat-y "Bird Priest(5)" and bumping "Mumtaz Khan(6)." 13 tracks; 42 minutes. Recommended.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red