MIRRORED

Battles's gesture is, right now, right here, and right in this sort of way, a terrific, interesting and booming one. Fans of them and their clashing sound are to be found anywhere, from the popular to the underground, from the deep-playing to the pure-chilling, from the addict to the random tasters of today's public. Progressive rock fans seem quite bemused and amazed too - though part of it could be an affection towards a melt between the veracious progressive colour and the hyperactive and intriguing mainstream art leaf - because Battles twist heavily with the juiciness of the rock quality (and the spice of a cult experiment), while Mirrored is seen, often, as a fantastic or even triumphant album, in an year when giants rehearsed new albums themselves , new bands desired to take the world by surprise and, finally, different artists made their bound of a fresh music.

What's more, Battles (and Battles's music, close to a separated, inspiring organism) inspire you to listen to an open source of exciting, elated, sugared-up or bold experimenting, in a state of jam, scratch-improvisation or high-definition rock that can be original within the depths of math, slam or art rock. Cut to the point, Mirrored, their decisive full debut, is a new wave, a striking hit, a demanding listen and a hurtling vapour - all at once. Adding greatly is the crew's talent and related band activity, each from the four piece ensemble bringing something from their avant-garde, heavy math rock, experimental fuzz punk or art pop linked esteem (Anthony Braxton's son, in such a new-wave band: my personal stun), but also desiring Battles as an expression of a blow minding bloom.

What then feels so wrong, bothersome or simply far from excellent?

Talking about the style is a cruel way of talking in sealed, rough or even nonsensical words. This music is, no doubt, a very free, relaxed and no-stress expression, carved into an album as to make a difference from all the jam sessions in the rock industry. Yet style becomes a full affection, once it is the rhythm that pulls you down the ecstatic or sorrow delight. And, yes, what seems like a perfect-made concept and a raving play has a deep complexity or a bottomless confusion, give or take the quality and the incisive manner. Math rock is an awesome plunge, with quirky or unconventional characters being actually part of the originality, which musicians of this generation know how to create so marvellously; due to the aforementioned melt between popular, modern-core, progressive and fusion senses, punk, indie & heavy rock, garage, avant, pop and prog are all in. Up progressive rock's particular fibber, the way of describing Mirrored is even more wooden and plastic. The adventurous hype in the album isn't enough for art rock to be a wonderful musical dream (sure, dark bassy vibes always bring in mind a Crimson shade), while the mixture of balanced and looping experiments is not so avant-gardish either. Whatever the quality (though it's not dramatically good, overall), Battles's album is a state of shock, heated jam or new art for these times of music. A little better and more interesting (instead of frighteningly awkward) and their row would be, in truth, revolutionary.

Mirrored flows, over a mild time length and sensitivity, in different ways. The electrifying act of improvisation is often a mood of hyperactive, streaming or lashing-out emotions, put in dance, experimental or avant-garde forms. Atlas, considered the best piece by more than enough voices, is indeed inspiring, its trance of beats and voice loops (these loops, particularly, evolve throughout the whole event to be a mixture of ragged or high vocal tones and animally samples) yelling a distinct style. Rainbow's fever is, yet again, charming or pure, Bad Trails's coldness and second set of vocal effects has a minimal groove perfection (and these three tracks, altogether, are probably the goods of Mirrored), while TIJ repeats the junk-bass strange jam of Atlas in a tiresome, even if "eclectic", way. But Battles proves that there's more to it than quirky and racing beats, shivers or raves, Tonto being one of the complex, dramatic experiments, the Race intro and outro proving a bit of art/math rock by franc tones, and Ddiamondd or Leyenbecker messing it up, by an undeniable bad music dish.

Mirrored has a plate of effects, stunts and grabbing pulses, in a comfortable rhythm and a convincing spark; it's just too bad the shape of its wave hasn't got brightness, elegance or, even if made of a young rave, a delightful unusualness . Battles and their novelty act isn't something formidable. It's just for fans, just for fun...