Battles - Gloss Drop

I won't even bother discussing the music. Anyone with passing recognition of the name Battles knows the story: the "super-group" of Tyondai Braxton, Ian Williams, Dave Konopka, and John Stanier arose playing instrumental super-jams bridging the gap between dance and rock, analog chops and digital trompe l'oeil. After 3 EPs of somewhat-interesting high-intensity post-rock, they hunkered down and released the stellar Mirrored in 2007--a breakthrough featuring the band's first vocal forays (courtesy of Tyondai), and songs that pushed musical boundaries while not sacrificing accessibility one iota. Several tours followed, and then they began work on the follow-up, impeded by Tyondai quitting at some point. Much speculation has attended the release of this new album, and how it would be affected by the departure of the band's most readily indentifiable member. Well, the results are no surprise: the EP jams are back, but with obnoxious vocals lacking all the individuality Tyondai had injected. Battles have gone from sounding futuristic and fun with a hint of dangerous edginess to sounding like Ponytail, while behaving like the Disco Biscuits. While their previously workmanlike attitude added to the more-than-the-sum-of-its-crazy-parts feeling, their recent Jimmy Fallon performance revealed three men obviously thinking "we are the shit!" while performing the Gang Gang Dance out-take circa 2005 that is "Futura". Williams mugged for the crowd and ecstatically played two keyboards--without even looking at them! Konopka wiggled his ass and grimaced like he was backing up Edwyn Collins, and John Stanier--long the band's rock-solid eye of the hurricane--bopped his head in time to the absurdly funky beat.

Listening to Gloss Drop at a 2011 Fourth of July party, the mood really suffered. After a while, the conversation drifted to the simpering electro-pop issuing from the speakers, and it wasn't good. "It sounds like a really boring carnival", remarked one. I couldn't agree more, it sounds like people doing what's expected of them in loud technicolor. This is the aural equivalent of a bad round of golf, complete with the ridiculous outfits.

Ok, I said I wasn't gonna talk about the music, and I did, so let's leave it at this: this album is depressing, and for possibly the only reason that these douchebags couldn't assess the problem of a follow-up to Mirrored without going for the obvious cash-in. Why am I surprised? I guess because Braxton really had the least to gain from going solo, but seemed to recognize the impossibility of a sequel. I can't really blame the other three--especially considering that none of them have had their taste of spotlight--but it's tempting to do so, if only for the reason that they seem so eager to take advantage of a chance to dilute their former achievements (plus who can imagine them doing justice to anything off Mirrored now?). For a band that has derived most if it's repuation from strange combinations of man and technology, seeing them on Fallon said it all: the strangest thing at this dance party is probably Ian Williams' windbreaker.