SBTRKT
's first full-length in nine years (with only a handful of EPs and stand-alone singles in between) is another guest-heavy, genre-traversing work balancing pop hooks with exploratory production. While 2011's
was a highly focused effort which helped define the post-dubstep movement, his subsequent releases have been a bit riskier, and
The Rat Road
is his most experimental one yet, with numerous interludes dotting its 22-track table of contents. He kicks off with the orchestral, harp-kissed prelude "Remnant" before launching into the giddily yearning, smoothly psychedelic soul of the
Teezo Touchdown
-featuring "Waiting." "Days Go By" (with
Toro y Moi
) cruises along until it suddenly switches the tempo to a slow crawl, but suspends the feeling instead of bringing the mood down. "L.F.O.," one of the album's most ambitious productions, is filled with angular, prismatic synths reminiscent of
Oneohtrix Point Never
, with vocalists
George Riley
and longtime close collaborator
Sampha
elevating the vibes until the song reaches an almost samba-like dance groove at the end. "Limitless" and "Forward," both featuring another of the album's major collaborators,
Leilah
, are also uplifting highlights. A mid-album sequence of shorter tracks contains interesting elements, like the splashing drums and pianos of the jazzy "Go to Ground," but often feel like loose ends. The lush drum'n'bass tune "You, Love" is a shot of bliss, however, and the glittery, futuristic "You Broke My Heart But Imma Fix It" is just as ecstatic.
is the type of sprawling, inconsistent work that likely only its creator fully understands, but it contains several fascinating, inspired moments. ~ Paul Simpson