Battles

Mirrored indeed. Refracted, reflected, distorted, contorted -- the sounds on this mostly instrumental album are like shards of light caroming off reflective surfaces. And physics is a good touch point here: at once coldly scientific and naturally beautiful, these jams fuse the electronic and the acoustic, the sequenced and the hand-played, the unrecognizably effected (the vocals) and the vigorously Spartan (those drums). "Atlas," a careening rush of a tune, is the centerpiece, but don't skip the oozy bass that closes "Tonto." Actually don't skip anything -- the whole album is genius.

This New York quartet gives ancient prog-rock moves a makeover – and a kick in the
pants. Ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier is driving the bus – and popping wheelies, pulling
hairpin turns and sometimes crashing the fucker. Everything is rhythm-based, so even the
bewildering collages cohere. On the pile-driving "Atlas," the album's best song, Battles top a
killer synth groove with a cartoonish tune that gets under your skin something fi... More >