Album Review: Battles – Gloss Drop

Artist: Battles

Album: Gloss Drop

Overall Rating: 7.6

Release Date: June 7 2011

Label: Warp

During the recording of this album, experimental rock band Battles lost their frontman Tyondai Braxton to a solo career. In replacing him with various guest performers throughout the album, combined with instrumental tracks, they’ve re-focused and synthesized their sound, likely without intending to do so.

The band first came to my notice with the release of their first single off this album, “Ice Cream” – a titillating and joyous four and a half minute romp that will surely get you up and dancing as anything else that’s come out in the last few years (click here for our post where we streamed the video). It ended up as the second track on the album, an apt spot for it following an instrumental intro track. It features the vocal talents of Chilean techno wizard Matias Aguayo.

Other singers on the twelve-track album (the bonus edition contains a thirteenth song) include Gary Numan rocking out on the goth-influenced “My Machines”, Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino (“Sweetie & Shag”, a frenzied, chaotic spin), and Yamantaka Eye (“Sundome”).

Standout instrumental tracks include “Futura”, my favorite on the album, but “Inchworm” is also an intriguing song, giving the listener a distinct feel of an inchworm winding its way across a cement driveway, back and forth through gentle curve after gentle curve.

Frankly, I prefer the songs with vocals more than the instrumentals, with the possible exception of “Futura”, but all of the songs are truly extraordinary, a beautiful fallout from math/art rock that is a pleasure to listen to.

PS – Battles will be touring in the summer and fall, including a stop here in Edmonton on October 10 at the Starlite Room. Book it in your calendar. Better yet, go buy advanced tickets now.