If modern day indie music appears to consist of an endless queue of groups that are either bland emo retreads or glitzy disco punkers, it is then that much more refreshing to encounter a band like Battles. With a lineage that consists of some of indie rock's most accomplished musicians, Battles is a veritable neo-prog supergroup, though one that embraces the possibilities of technology used in tandem with instrumental virtuosity.
MIRRORED, the band's debut full-length makes its intent clear from the onset--to ingest 50 years of rock history and regurgitate it as fractilized micro-symphonies. Rhythms bounce whimsically from motorik krautrock beats to glammed up T. Rex shuffles; such stop-on-a-dime surprises seem to be offered up at every turn. Tyondai Braxton's bizarre vocal gibberish--pitched up and looped in real-time--recalls similar experiments by the Animal Collective, while simple, repetitive note progressions give way to full-on guitar bombast (courtesy of Don Caballero's Ian Williams). But the Battles-plan cannot be reduced to mere quiet verse/loud chorus formula. Featuring a generous dose of improvisatory interplay, MIRRORED is tightrope-walking post-rock with a technology-driven edge.
Audio Mixers: Battles; Keith Souza.
Recording information: Machines With Magnets, Pawtucket, RI.
Photographer: Timothy Saccenti.
Battles: David Konopka (bass guitar); John Stanier, Tyondai Braxton, Ian Williams .
Personnel: Tyondai Braxton (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Ian Williams (guitar, keyboards); John Stanier (drums).
Rolling Stone (p.72) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "This New York quartet gives ancient prog-rock moves a makeover -- and a kick in the pants." Spin (p.90) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "For rock that's both fist-pumping and forward-looking, this album suggests that Battles have few peers." Alternative Press (p.151) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "Battles have minimized the ambient filler and added some bizarre processed vocalizing and increased electronic counterpoint to their already bafflingly contrapuntal, loop-heavy attack..." Magnet (p.90) - "They stretch their instrumental prowess wherever their textural whims take them, often by trapping melodies inside an intricate instrumental web where rhythmic shifts signify the verses." The Wire (p.47) - "This time Battles sound like they're actually having fun, relishing the opportunity to stretch out over the length of an album and sounding an awful lot like King Sunny Ade interpreting early 70s Yes..." The Wire (p.37) - Ranked #9 in The Wire's "Top Ten Records of the Year 2007" -- "On-a-dime virtuosity combined with sever compression, to claustrophobic but exhilarating effect." Vibe (p.70) - "MIRRORED is propulsive and ragged, matching Teutonic firmness with drunken collapse." Q (Magazine) (p.125) - "[T]hey executed a radical and complex synthesis of Krautrock, experimental jazz and Queens Of The Stone Age."
Finally... Finally it's here...I saw these guys in Gainesville almost 2 years ago and they blew me away. I bought the single, the only album they had at the merch table, at the concert and was impressed but it seemed a little too freeform for my taste, but this album pulls it all together...aurally pleasing with many complex rythms, sounds, and cadences. Submitted by orangejellol (Tampa, Fl.) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Mixed verdic. Evolution is the mark of true musicianship...generally, that is. In the case of Mirrored, this change in sound is met with some reservations. My biggest complaint is the strange vocals overdubs, and yet at the same time it does add an interesting element to the mix. By and large, I would prefer to have much of it left out. Also, to mix it up, I would have liked to see a few more experimental rock oriented songs. Submitted by tubesteaknyouri (Fort wayne, IN) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Interesting but so... strange! Interesting in terms of sound & ambience (you feel like a pretty girl in a horor movie from the 80's) but also so strange in terms of melody... Submitted by melis.sebastien (Thionville, France) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Have you heard this album?
Buy Mirrored CD
Buy Battles - Mirrored Posters From Allposters.com
Finally...
Mixed verdic.
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