TORTOISE

The Catastrophist

For fans of the band, every new Tortoise record feels like an exciting departure. But there are things, both obvious and subtle, about The Catastrophist that will genuinely startle listeners who appreciate the storied quintet’s daring. Over the past 20 years, the Chicago group have invented a much-emulated rhythmic sensibility and explored the far reaches of synthesized tones and distorted noise, fuelled by an abiding interest in jazz, dub, Krautrock, hiphop, electronica and instrumental rock. Whatever that aesthetic conflation really is when Tortoise play together is present here, but there’s also a greater sense of ease. Certain pieces, like the title track or the short blast of “Gopher Island,” possess epic soundtrack elements, as though they’re meant to underscore something monumental. “Shake Hands With Danger” also features hallmarks of the band: a forceful, sturdy, distinctive drum pattern, a tastefully focused yet wandering bass line and a rich array of processed instrumentation. The most superficially jarring thing about The Catastrophist — the inclusion of vocals by U.S. Maple’s Todd Rittman and Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley — isn’t all that jarring. Treated in reverb or, in the case of Hubley, mixed somewhat low, the voices sound like another instrumental layer but, psychologically, hook us in. The fact that Rittman appears on a rendition of David Essex’s early ’70s hit “Rock On” is quite weird. The song’s youthful call to arms also has a creepy lechery about it, and Tortoise magnify its darkness with a woozy arrangement. Hubley is a bit more distant on “Yonder Blue,” but that makes the song rather arresting, as she conveys a range of emotions in her dynamic, breathy delivery, while the song itself sounds like it’s being transmitted via an AM radio alarm clock. The Catastrophist is a considerably measured dispatch that revels in space and time; there’s a lot of breathing room within these arrangements, and the air is sweet. (Thrill Jockey, thrilljockey.com) VISH KHANNA