Put It Into Words: A Review of Battles’ Gloss Drop

Battles - Gloss Drop

from

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 11:12 AM

subject

Gloss Drop

Leo,

Thanks again for the copy of the new Battles record, Gloss Drop; I’ve been unable to listen to much else. I will surely overplay the disc this summer.

Unfortunately, I may not be able to make deadline on the review.  The record is so out-there, I fear my words may fall short. How can we put these sounds and feelings into coherent expression? Do you have any suggestions?

Pete

from

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 11:42 AM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Pete,

I agree this record is tricky to review, primarily because it is instrumental, and instrumental rock music tends to be a hard sell.  Were I to describe the record in images, it would go something like this:

Of course, we need words, not images.  I suggest you start simple.  Give some background on the band’s background and previous work.  I just read 10 reviews of the band’s first album Mirrored, and they all say things like “the Philip K. Dick equivalent of modern rock” or “Marc Bolan may be dead, but Battles can rebuild him.”  These reviews sound ridiculous and alienating.  Try to explain what is familiar and accessible about the band, not what is arcane and intimidating.  Also, please don’t use the term “math-rock.”

Leo

from

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 1:53 PM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Leo,

As per your suggestion, I went back a listened to Mirrored, and all I got is “God damn.”

Alright, I have more than that: what Battles proved on Mirrored is that inside a wall of talent and technicality is a living, grooving organism. Mirrored shattered the notion that experimental rock needs to be dumbed down to be enjoyed. Instead of scaring away unaccustomed listeners, Battles invited us to bask in the shadows of their towering creations. Guitars, keys and drums that built to infinity, did so in a graceful or jarring manner, when necessary. Vocalist Tyondai Braxton didn’t so much “sing” as ride the wave of sound, adding texture to the songs while grounding them for the listener. While tracks like “Tonto” probably rarely (if ever) enjoyed radio play, Mirrored will long be seen as a triumph not just in the experimental community, but-dare I say-the pop world.

Battles – “Tonto”

And I didn’t say “math-rock!” Shit.

But that was a few years ago. Since, Braxton has left to work on a solo-project and Battles have marched on as a three-piece. Gloss Drop is the result of the break-up and tumultuous post-Mirrored years.  Stunningly, without Braxton, the possibilities have blown wide open.  The new record manages to expand the band’s technical horizons while somehow establishing it more firmly in the realm of pop. Which is kind of what we’re trying to do now: bringing something from the esoteric realm and attempting to make it exoteric. It’s obvious Battles can do it, but can we?

Pete

from

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 2:27 PM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Pete,

Well, not if we keep using words like “exoteric^[1]” we can’t (readers: exoteric is in fact an esoteric word: discuss).  You’re definitely on the right track, though.  From what you’ve written I have a broad sense of the record; if we were the type of site that stooped to “scoring” records, I could guess the number (nine-ish?).  Additionally, I like how you frame the vocals as a complementary instrument rather than a primary focus.  As a reader, though, I need more specifics.  I would discuss the individual songs in more detail.  How does the record open?  What are its highlights?  Where is the climax?  Also, you say the record is “experimental,” but so are Sonic Youth and Tortoise, and Battles sound nothing like those bands.  Give me some anchors.

Leo

P.S. – don’t actually use the word “climax” in a review.  People will giggle.

from

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 3:47 PM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Leo,

Whatever, dude. I like exoteric, and I’m sticking to it.

Since the departure of Braxton, the three-piece is much more comfortable with just rocking out, sans vocals. The album opener “Africastle” gets things underway like the first shot of a war film featuring a neon pink tank ravishing a candy store in slow motion. (What?) Basically, the track, like the rest of Gloss Drop, features a new trademark brightness foiled by the propulsive lower register commanded by drummer John Stanier.

Battles – “Africastle”

The shot then dissolves into “Ice Cream,” which will no doubt be featured on my end-of-the-year lists for both singles and videos. Despite the indecipherable lyrics of the Chilean-born, German-based Matias Aguayo, the intoxicating combination of  a perfect sunny riff and a pounding rhythm section just feels like summer. See/feel for yourself.

From there, the album is an exercise in meticulous songwriting always with a paradoxical streak of (bright/shimmering/neon/glossy/????)^[2] violence. There’s the schizophrenic “Wall Street,” the mechanical “Futura,” and the deep “Rolls Bayce,” all of which broaden the soundscape, giving the listener a vivid picture of the fun-gone-wrong world  of Gloss Drop.

[vodpod id=Video.9394265&w=425&h=350&fv=]

The penultimate track, “White Electric,” is Gloss Drop in microcosm. The waves of melody crashing down upon dissonance and chaos provide mental images of… well, frankly I can’t say. Just stick around until the end.

Battles – “White Electric”

I mean, that right there is my problem. How the hell do you describe a song like “White Electric” without: a) going into technical talk above my actual understanding AND/OR b) sounding like a d-bag? It’s clear there is more here that many listeners can and will enjoy, but my witty tongue ultimately falls short. Halp!

Pete

from

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 4:31 PM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Pete,

I think the answer is, “you don’t.”  That is, after all, why we play the songs in our reviews, even if the man sometimes tries to stop us.^[3]  The beauty of the modern record review, and for that matter modern music distribution, is that you no longer have to depend solely on a collection of adjectives to help you decide whether or not to spend your hard-earned coin on a record.  I think you’ve managed to capture the overall experience of the record: the bright and the dark, the uplifting and the ominous, the exhilarating and the terrifying.  In short, the Gloss and the Drop.  Now it’s times to wrap things up.  From the sound of things, you view this record as more than just a collection of great tunes; you view it as something of a landmark.  So, let us know: where do you think this record stands in the pantheon of “experimental rock?”  And how does it move pop music forward?

Stick the landing,

Leo

from

Peter Lillis <(redacted)@gmail.com>

to

Leo Lopez <(redacted)@gmail.com>

date

Tue, May 24, 2011 at 5:55 PM

subject

Re: Gloss Drop

Leo,

Deep breath.

Maybe it’s just because I’ve been pretty tuned in lately, but 2011 is shaping up to be a remarkable year in pop music. We’ve seen stars made overnight. We’ve witnessed a lyrical malfunction. Hell, even British white dweebs got to be sexy. But most importantly, it’s been a time of innovation.

Gloss Drop is a brilliant record.  Despite the complex musicianship and impeccable timing on display, its sonic arc feels organic and it begs the listener to dance.  The release of such a precise, booming, glitchy, mad behemoth of a record right in time for the summer of tablet PCs, civil unrest and Greek yogurt just makes sense. By straddling the line separating the analog and digital realms, Battles have successfully soundtracked both your next few outdoor MDMA/paint parties^[4]” and  21st century technological progress. Somehow the disorienting explosions of Gloss Drop mirror^[5]” the exhilarating and unnerving rebirth of the Western world.

Really, its just so much fun, its scary.

Now we just got to turn this into a review. What do you think?

Pete

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[1] Definition of EXOTERIC

1 a: suitable to be imparted to the public <the exoteric doctrine> — compare esoteric b: belonging to the outer or less initiate circle
2: relating to the outside : external

[2] (need better adjectives)

[3] Dear The Man: seriously, though, we’ll do whatever you say. Just don’t shut us down.

[4] Not recommended.

[5] Get it?