Although XL has become the retirement home of choice for many ex-major label indie acts – Radiohead, Beck and Sigur Ros – they still boast an enviable roster of exciting and new talents such as MIA, Vampire Weekend and The Cool Kids. But Ratatat are something of an anomaly for XL; who tend to cherry pick the cream of the underground and develop their huge crossover/commercial potential – The White Stripes, Devendra Banhart, Basement Jaxx and Dizzee Rascal for example. Ratatat sadly fall into none of the categories above. However, someone, somewhere in XL must be crazy about this band, and I imagine Ratatat are a real labour of love for the label – one of those bands that may never shift units, yet everyone still totally believes in them. However, looking at the lengthy list of their contributions to TV, film and advertising, maybe their strengths lie elsewhere. For a band that never strayed too far from their original template of electronic-based inoffensive melodic instrumental ditties, they sure have amassed a sizeable portfolio of adverts, TV and film endorsements. And so the penny drops. The album itself is merely a loss leader, a promotional tool designed to hook the big media payday. Cynical? Yes. But how else can one explain the continual support from a very successful, competitive record label. When judging these songs in the context of a third album, Ratatat have made no progression whatsoever. The beats and bass remain predictable, the tempo and structure still follows the lineage of previous releases. No addition of live drums, no attempt to incorporate vocals or different arrangements, and the familiar medieval-style guitar loops still tread dangerously close to that theme tune to Blackadder. If artists don’t challenge themselves they can’t expect to challenge the listener. But we live in an age where artists can potentially make more money from advertising than record sales, so in these terms, LP3 is gold. Skip the album. Coming to a TV or cinema screen near you soon.
