ARTIST: Battles 
TITLE: Mirrored
YEAR RELEASED: 2007
CHART ACTION: #7 Heatseekers, #26 Indie, #70 UK
SINGLES: Atlas, Tonto
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Not by name
LINEUP: David Knopka, John Stanier, Ian Williams, Tyondai Braxton
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Still complicated, complex, intriguing, but now with vocals of a sort.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: This album comes on the scene after the bands’ two EPs, and instead of being all instrumental, the band uses vocals (mostly treated, nothing really straight forward) from Tyondai Braxton.
The song “Atlas”, with its video, proved to be a success and they also got a great live reputation for their work in presenting their precise, methodical pieces to the crowds. The entire album is a little more song (and less sound) oriented than their other works.
Battles moved the profile of ‘math rock’ and its possibilities forward, and proved there was an audience for this music if it was presented in a way – not that Battles compromised on this album at all.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Drummer John Stanier was in Helmet in the 90’s.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: A bonus track in Japan.
GRADE: A-: The loops, patterns and rhythms are still intriguing, but now seem to be more song-oriented, which is a plus.
But Is It Any Good? 