Customer Reviews

Epc

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4 star:		(2)
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Battles is the latest project from guitarist Ian williams, most famously of Don Caballero, but also in the wonderful Storm And Stress. Fans of the last DC album and the Storm and Stress albums will like this one. Tyondai Braxton also lends his genius, add John stanier and David Konopka and you've got one of the most boss and original bands of a long time. This album is unlike anything I've heard, the songs seems to develop as they are composed, and then become entirly new compositions. Why should you buy this album? Because everything else sounds like everything else and this doesn't.

I'm a fan of Ian's and John's other projects, and this album surpassed my expectations. It's a new sound, something I never could have imagined. John is perfect for this band, his beats make me turn into a wild and crazy animal. Ian does some real cool stuff looping keyboards and guitars. The other members who I'm unfamiliar with have impressive talent and come up with some real good sounding sound. The tracks are very elaborate and for an ep there is a whole lot of content. The cd is good. Buy it.

Battles blends the genius of guitarist/keyboardist/samplist Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm & Stress), drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk), guitarist Dave Konopka (Lynx) and Boston-based avant garde composer Tyondai Braxton (ironically the younger brother of pop/r&b singer Toni Braxton). Attempting to draw comparisons to other bands or even genres is pointless and quite frankly unnecessary, because EP C is a truly unique sounding album. The only other music that competes with Battles' abstractly intelligent musicianship and songwriting is Storm & Stress and the later-era Don Cab, both brainchilds of Ian Williams. Which says a lot about where EP C is coming from. But the four individual talents of the members of Battles, when confronted, tread sonic territory that Williams' former efforts have not. The songs add layer upon seamless layer of intricate guitar and keyboard lines (often heavily sampled), fractured rhythms, electronic noises, and sparsely-placed vocal samples, all held together with the tenacious and incredibly tight drumming of Stanier. The production of the album is nearly perfect.

If any point is to be made at all with this review, its that words and descriptions don't really do it justice, you just have to hear it for yourself. Everything about it is just mesmerizing.

This is awesome. Battles is great. This is their best. "B EP" is too dark. "Mirrored" is too light. "EP C" is just right. "EP C" is dark AND you'll be finding yourself nodding your head to every song. No where else has this contradiction been pulled off so well. I love this. Get this.

Note: "Hi/Lo" is the best instrumental song ever and also one of the best songs ever (I only put a Beatles song and a Rolling Stones song ahead of it).

Good starting point in a pretty weak discography seems to be the briefly recorded band's most solid, articulate outing in their weird, playfully menacing style. Players are in high form here, keeping the compelling repetition informed and brisk for anyone interested in the opposite side of your typical jam band. Here the esteemed math-rock compatriots get to flex their considerable self-conscious chops, ushering in the band's renewed interest in the faltering genre. Hopefully these impressive, though essentially glorified, compositional outings will continue to refine and focus both band and fans alike as the obligatory LP hopefully looms around the corner.

This short CD is what happens when 3 very talented musicians spend a day screwing around in the studio. You get some flashes of brilliance and a lot of experimenting. All of the album is interesting except the last 3 minutes or so of the last track which is utterly pointless. The first track is great stuff and reminds me of prime Don Caballero. Over-all: good stuff and well worth a listen or two, but not something that lasts.

I saw Battles play twice at the Middle East Club in Cambridge, MA. They put on an incredible live performance. To actually see how they recreate the music you hear on the CD is really something. I can't stop listening to this CD! If you're into intelligent instrumentals, buy this record and everything else they release.