The guitar-electronic instrumental duo
Ratatat have returned with their fifth full-
length, Magnifique. The consistency of
their last few releases created an expectation for more of the same: harmonized gui
tars and percussive loops thrown through
funky filters, all separated by seemingly
random vocal clips. This time around, though, the group trades in the chunky, fast-pace grooves for calmer melodies layered with a lot more keyboard work, and that’s quite all right. Standouts include “Cream on Chrome,” “Drift” and the two-faced “Rome,” which glimmers with hints of the band’s earlier work. – Andy Mesecher