News from the official Charts Tracker group:
The new Ratner's Star single Living Under Gunfire has entered the U.K. singles charts at #16, the U.S. singles charts at #24, and the World wide singles charts at #30. Additionally, the single has not entered any other territory's chart any lower than #77 (in Europe), making it the most internationally successful single of the group's career to date.
Also, here are some intial press reactions to the new album Fear of Modern Life:
- "The new record from Ratner's Star is many things: maddening, disparate, oppressive and disturbing are four words that spring to mind. But, to other ears and with some open mindedness on my part, this collection collection can be an utterly compelling listen in some other respects... There are no really obvious big hit singles on it in the vein of 'Inherent Vice' or 'I've Lost My Balls Inside My Computer' on the last LP, but we were kind of expecting the band to step away from that highly commercial direction that they never seemed quite comfortable with. And, of course, if you subscribe to the theory that all really, truly great records are complete commercial non-events anyway, then this suggest they are getting much closer to that goal. However, if (like myself) you're into moer immediately gratifying music, then it's not going to be your cup of tea." : Paul Theo-Lucas, Q Magazine, *** out of 5
- "They've done it again, completely confounding is and befuddling two reviwers before me who have been assigned to review this disc...Those Ratner's Star buggers definitely know how to devide their audience and their critics. The new LP is very dark, difficult and hugely ambitious-and therefore not to everyone's tastes. However, for me, even after trying to be impartial, I just can't help but think it's the best thing they've done and may well be an Album of the Year contender already." : Nicky Blackmarket, NME Magazine, 9/10
- "Easy to admire, challenging to to dance and listen to, hard to love...Ratner's Star's new LP Fear of Modern Life cuts the mustard, but doesn't make this the best sandwich you ever had." : Sara Reed, The Face, *** out of 5
- "Afro-futurist funk married to geeky white angst and gloomy synthesized dance pop with the color muted results in dank, industrial feeling album of contemporary doom. File under, 'What the f&%$ is this?'...but then dig it out again to solve this Chinese puzzle box of an album." : Sick Nikki Janis, Blender, 7/10
- "And so now we get the 'difficult-third-album' from that most quintessentially arty and difficult six piece, Ratner's Star...and there are definite signs of improvement and progress. 'Afterlife', 'Living Under Gunfire' and 'Hold Those Thoughts' are all excellent and show that this is a band not afraid to push itself and the people it chooses to work with in new directions...It doesn't quite totally gel and cohere, so there is a faint feel of it being very much a transitional album to it, a marked change of gears and period of adjustment and growing pains...However, I have a hunch that this one might not be quite as big a seller as the previous two, but that in the long run, it will be seen as more important to their development in retrospect-and that what they are making the transition to could be very interesting indeed." - Michael Xeroaz, Rolling Stone magazine, **** out of 5
- "Expect to overhear cooler-than-thou teenagers and college students bragging about buying this record first in years to come....the perfect example of intelligent college alt. rock with experimental edges." - Allmusic.com, ****1/2 out of 5
" "After all the hype and the Birdies performance that got people talking...it doesn't rock as much as anticipated. A few numbers sound a bit turgid and tired, while other do show signs of promise. Not a rocker's wet dream, but (only just) a credible example of not totally self indulgent art-rock weirdness and geeky alienation. Buy for your weird elder sibling or ex-boyfriend who jabbers on abotu conspiracy theories and government cover-ups as a soundtrack for his life until he finishes at college and become a yuppy scum Young Republican and Wall Street banker." : Charlie Nix, NYC Snub TV, *** out of 5
