So this past December was a music free for all for me, if I wasn't receiving it I was hunting down elusive albums I had yet to own. But math rock geniuses Battles first full-length LP 'Mirrored' came to me as a gift, one that helped ring in the new year.Before actually hearing all eleven tracks in their entirety I grew attached to their second single 'Atlas'. And a special shout-out has to go to Timothy Saccenti for his awe-inspiring accompanying video and album cover (he also directed Animal Collective's 'Peacebone', a personal favourite). Then I re-discovered 'Tonto', which was introduced to me by God-knows-who years ago. But hearing the full album (minus the Japan bonus 'Katoman', which I'll find eventually) gives me a good appreciation for what this band can do, and how well they do it. So let's begin.
'Race: In' - Starting off 'Mirrored' is 'Race: In', a kind of "calm before the storm" sort of intro, where it starts out hushed and builds up with cameos of scaling guitars and shrill chirping synth horns, before letting the drums get a bit harder for what turns out to be only a moment. After a while the vocals come forth, simple escalating notes that fall into hums. It's a good song, not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when I think Battles, but it's an enjoyable first look into what becomes a great album.
'Atlas' - This song always strikes me as some kind of evil, not Hitler on steroids evil, the sound is so unique you can't help but hear the warped vocals and thumping drums as some kind of dark chant. Even the lyrics are reminiscent of childhood songs twisted into horror movie anthems. But don't let me turn you away, 'Atlas' is a heart-pumping, foot-moving song, even if you don't realize it. And it only gets better when the sound you got used to drops to a repeating guitar chord, making you wait while it finds new sick notes to play. The chorus will stick in your mind for days, even if you can't understand what Mr. Tyondai is saying.
'Ddiamondd' - I can only describe this as a burst of energy. It starts without warning and forces you to try and understand the hyper-fast vocals, which may or may not be saying what you think they're saying. 'Ddiamondd' survives on short breaths of winding guitar and the clapping of drums, then weaves back into a paragraph of mirrors, prisms, and diamonds. For being the one song with the most diverse lyrics on 'Mirrored', 'Ddiamondd' is an absolute trip.
'Tonto' - I will name this song "Most likely to be used in a western film" for it's growing and ruthless guitar focus, but it stays adventurous and different by adding in the plucking of what you'd certainly guess was some kind of harp or something. But for all it's seven minutes and forty-three seconds it seems like nothing in it's center really happened, only to slowly end as it began. This is the kind of song you're sure to air-guitar no matter what, but it'll also leave a serene, thoughtful impression.
'Leyendecker' - Starting off with simple-yet-sexy pounding drums and barely-there guitar, 'Leyendecker' never really transforms into anything than what it was meant to be, but that doesn't suggest it's not a great listen. The various sounds are a play for the ears, and the elevating vocals that sound like an alternative take on the Chipmunks sound familiar but interesting.
'Rainbow' - The longest song on 'Mirrored' for good reason, there's alot packed in. Like most of the other tracks this one is a kind of buildup; new instruments appear before you could ever get bored of what you were hearing already. It all sounds like a preperation for something great and climactic, and it delivers, but it wasnts you to hold on and enjoy everything Battles has to offer, showcasing a bit of everything. Everything collapses all at once, but instead of going back to what it was it erupts in much louder, ferocious sounds, making way for some majestic vocal-work. 'Rainbow' is both soft and thunderous, like something destructive descending from the clouds.
'Bad Trails' - A little after a minute something strange emerges in 'Bad Trails', do Battles play in aviaries? Who knows, but I love hearing it nontheless. The comforting sounds that make up the backbone of this song are what draw you in, and it stays like that, only allowing other sounds to escalate to certain heights before drawing them back into their roots. It's a devious track, sounding rather toned down to the rest of the album, but massivley different in the sounds it presents.
'Prismism' - There isn't too much to say about 'Prismism' really, it's just shy of playing at an actual minute. You won't really notice it coming after 'Bad Trails' but there's no reason to skip it. Is it necessary? Probably not. Is it a good listen? Absolutely.
'Tij' - 'Tij' is a total ride, there are so many sounds to concentrate on it'll take multiple listens to really discover what you're hearing. The gasping in the background are all the vocals it needs, from the enraging drums to reverse-sounding guitars there's so much to pick apart you really just need to keep in mind it's a fast-paced rock song. Every instrument and sound gets a chance to make itself known, but who can complain when Battles are so good at playing them?
'Race: Out' - Appropriately named, the ending track is without a doubt my favourite piece of 'Mirrored'. It's the end of everything you just heard, but a link to what will come next. It starts off beautifully solemn, like warped voilins playing their last notes. Battle drums follow, growing closer and louder, but before you can get completely used to it the guitar appears out of nowhere striking every pitch imaginable with such speed, soon to be accompanied by furious, melodic drums that don't quit. You'd think, listening to it, that 'Race: Out' would never end, but unfortunately it begins to fade, and an eruption of symbols takes off seconds before departure.
I'd reccomend 'Mirrored' to just about anybody. It's packed with enough sound to make it a permanent member of your collection, but leaves you wanting more. Luckily there are several EP's to hunt down, and seeing as it's been two years since 'Mirrored' debuted I wouldn't be surprised if Battles were working hard on something new to singe our eardrums with.
