If there’s one thing that Magnifique can be proud of, it’s that it makes Ratatat’s five year absence feel like a snap of the fingers.

As to why, well, that becomes pretty clear after you give its fifth album a spin.

The Brooklyn bred duo of Mike Stroud and Evan Mast picked up right where they left off on LP4, and while this release is more true to their sonic roots, Ratatat continues driving home that same bare bones, psychedelic electronica that’s carried them through this ever-changing medium.

If growth is supposed to be the norm, maybe for Ratatat, continuing the steady jog on this plateau is what the two want. It’s that whole bag about fixing things that aren’t broke because they’re still playing music and we’re still listening.

Don’t get it twisted, though. It might take you 15 listens to remember the names of the songs, but to say Stroud and Mast haven’t progressed as musicians would be flat out wrong.

Magnifique is the most complete project they’ve put together, and if we’re ranking albums, it has enough appeal to get within shouting distance of Ratatat and Classics.

The album is connected by an AM radio that’s constantly searching for something to nod to, with warped voices and rolling sound bytes dividing each chapter. When the static clears, it finds fourteen tracks that touch every corner of the audio palate.

Even though none can really hang with the single, “Cream on Chrome,” each fits a specific mold that reflects its inspiration. “Rome” is an experiment with two lead guitar melodies separated between ears. “Supreme” features slide guitar and paints a tropical canvas with nods to Santo & Johnny and Pete Drake. “Nightclub Amnesia” takes dancehall energy and turns it into the musical equivalent of that guy at the club with too many buttons undone on his shirt and enough fist pumps to supply Miami’s nightlife. “Countach” (yes, it’s named after the Lamborghini) feels like it was picked up off Kid Cudi’s cutting room floor.

 

Following the blissful trip of the title track, “Magnifique,” is the lo-fi stylings of “Abrasive” — a piece that took more time to create than any Ratatat has ever made. It’s the core of the band’s aesthetic, with progressive, thickening instrumentation and a solid arc to match.

 

To complement the album’s completeness is the masterful production quality and attention to detail. Each groove, each section, and each track moves with an effortless touch.

But as quickly as it moves past you, there’s little desire to slow it down and ask it to stay. Ratatat isn’t a genre-defining pioneer anymore, and even though there’s no sour taste left by Magnifique, there’s a good chance that, by now, you’ve moved on to something else.