Music Review: Tortoise, The Catastrophist

By Jeffery X Martin

There’s a sense of playfulness on the new album from Tortoise, The Catastrophist. It feels like listening to a card trick. Let’s call it “sleight of ear.”

Mostly an instrumental band, Tortoise comes on as Nintendo-core. The keyboards have that glorious 8-bit sound, but then the drums start and the guitar comes floating in like the backwash of a canyon echo. Almost imperceptibly, the music has moved from Bowser’s Castle to some place far more ethereal.

The song, “Gesceap,” is a prime example of the Tortoise style. It’s filled with rhythm shifts and fake time signatures. It’s not really a swirl. It’s like standing in the surf while the ocean sucks the sand out from under your feet. You’re still where you were, but your foundation has shifted, and everything’s different.

It’s the drumming and percussion that makes those subtle switches. An extra bass kick, a new ghost note, and all of a sudden you’re dealing with music that lives and breathes and deals in mischief.

The Catastrophist marks the first time since 2006 that Tortoise has incorporated vocals on their albums. There’s a cover version of the David Essex hit, “Rock On,” sung by Todd Rittmann (formerly of U.S. Maple). It’s funny because “rock” isn’t the proper word for Tortoise. They’re doing something on, but it’s certainly not rock and roll in the classic sense.

The Catastrophist is filled with surprises and delightful trickery. The brooding atmosphere of songs like “The Clearing Fills” and “Shake Hands with Danger” evoke thoughts of ASMR, but are pushed back from that edge by the Yowie-like dissonant guitar.

Tortoise is a terrific band, and The Catastrophist showcases their growth and maturation wonderfully. It may take a few listens for everything to gel (it did for me, anyway) but once you start to see how they do the trick, you’ll be compelled to pull the curtain back again and again.

The Catastrophist is available now from Thrill Jockey Records.

Tour Dates:
Sun. Feb. 7 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Jr. [Tix] *^
Mon. Feb. 8 – Hamburg, DE @ Fabrik [Tix] *^
Tue. Feb. 9 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain *^ – SOLD OUT
Wed. Feb. 10 – Antwerpen, BE @ Trix *^
Thu. Feb. 11 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli [Tix] *^
Fri. Feb. 12 – St. Gallen, CH @ Palace *^^ [Tix]
Sat. Feb. 13 – Geneva, CH @ Antigel Festival *
Sun. Feb. 14 – Zürich, CH @ Stall 6 ^^ [Tix]
Mon. Feb. 15 – Reutlingen, DE @ Franz.K [Tix] *
Tue. Feb. 16 – Vienna, AT @ Arena *^ [Tix]
Wed. Feb. 17 – Budapest, HU @ A 38 [Tix]*
Thu. Feb. 18 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara*
Fri. Feb. 19 – Bologna, IT @ Locomotiv Club* [Tix]
Sat. Feb. 20 – Rome, IT @ Monk Club* [Tix]
Sun. Feb. 21 – Milan, IT @ Magnolia Club* [Tix]
Mon. Feb. 22 – Istanbul, TR @ CRR Concert Hall
Tue. Feb. 23 – London, UK @ Village Underground * – SOLD OUT
Wed. March 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cedar Cultural Center # [Tix]
Fri. March 11 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Pig # [Tix]
Sat. March 12 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace # [Tix]
Sun. March 13 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount # [Tix]
Mon. March 14 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse # [Tix]
Tue. March 15 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair # [Tix]
Wed. March 16 – New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge # [Tix]
Thu. March 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Littlefield # [Tix]
Fri. March 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts # [Tix]
Sat. March 19 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat # [Tix]
Sun. March 20 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern # [Tix]
Mon. March 21 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel # [Tix]
Tue. March 22 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall # [Tix]
Wed. March 23 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revival # [Tix]
Thu. March 24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio # [Tix]
Tue. April 26 – Boise, ID @ Radio Boise Tuesday [Tix]
Wed. April 27 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile [Tix]
Thu. April 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Imperial [Tix]
Fri. April 29 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall [Tix]
Sat. April 30 – Sonoma, CA @ Sonoma Winery / Redwood Barn [Tix]
Sun. May 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall [Tix]
Mon. May 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom [Tix]
Tue. May 3 – Solana Beach @ Belly Up [Tix]
Wed. May 4 – Phoenix AZ @ Desert Daze Phoenix at Crescent Ballroom
Fri. May 6 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk [Tix]
Sun. May 8 – Dallas, TX @ Dada [Tix]
Mon. May 9 – St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room [Tix]
Tue. May 10 – Chicago, IL @ Metro [Tix]
Wed. May 11 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater [Tix]
Thu. May 12 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird [Tix]
Fri. May 13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge [Tix]
Sat. May 14 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Fri. May 27 – Torino, IT @ Cap10100
Sat. May 28 – Brescia, IT @ Latteria Molloy
Sun. May 29 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk [Tix]
Mon. May 30 – Frankfurt, DE @ Das Bett [Tix]
Tue. May 31 – Paris, FR @ TBA
Wed. June 1 – Koln, DE @ Kulturkirche
Thu. June 2 – Besancon, FR @ La Rodia
Sun. June 5 – Nimes, FR @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival
Mon. June 6 – Toulouse, FR – Metronum
Wed. June 8 – Metz, FR @ Les Trinitaires
Thu. June 9 Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix
Fri. July 3 – Keflavik, IS @ Asbru (ATP Iceland) [Tix]
Tue. July 5 – Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater

* w/ Sam Prekop
^ w/ Blondie Brownie
^^ w/ Little Tornados
# w/ Mind Over Mirrors