10 Tortoise The Catastrophist THRILL JOCKEY, 2016

You say: “A great record, playful even, showing the band’s complex yet emotive virtuosity.” Keith Giblin, via Twitter

Tortoise released their first four group albums between 1994 and 2001. But in the last 20 years, busier than ever with so many other projects, they’ve only managed three more. 2004’s It’s All Around You is frequently undervalued, but this most recent set is an especially satisfying reunion: heavier on the synths than of old (note prog electronica high mass, Gesceap), but with plenty of the trademark nimbleness. And, in a radical shift, vocals, courtesy of Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and Dead Rider’s Todd Rittman. The latter excels on an industrial squelch-funk rewiring of David Essex’s Rock On, mysteriously erased from streaming versions of The Catastrophist.