-... . . .--. (Battles - La Di Da Di)

Battles
La Di Da Di

why you'll love it: What it would sound like if cyborgs made music

why you'll hate it: Lacks the beloved gimmicks of their previous releases

Sometimes, we don't know what we want.  When most people talk about a band like Battles, we tend to build upon that "math-rock" moniker.  We talk about their complicated layerings and precise instrumentation.  We talk about how their sound is appreciated on more levels than just a catchy beat.  Here is a casually brushed away truth about the last two Battles albums... they're pretty damn catchy.  So much that when Battles delivers an unfiltered application of what we say the band is all about, we realize how important those pop sensibilities were.

La Di Da Di sounds like what should have been Battles' debut LP.  When Battles first surfaced in the early 2000s, they released two EPs of straightforward instrumentals.  I remember how initially disgusted some fans were when their first full-length featured vocals (fed through a pitch shifter).  In their follow up, Battles lost the voice and creative mind behind those vocals, and instead recruited guest vocalists.  Those vocal contributions led to an even more pop-structured compositions.  Despite getting closer and closer to a pop band with every release, Battles fans still consider "tight musicianship" to be the band's MO.

Every Battles album has been a curveball.  On this one, the band throws away all gimmicks, and puts their reputation on the line as an intriguing math-rock trio.  Battles plays with slowly manipulated loops.  Their process, well documented, seems like a complete logistical nightmare.  As they always have, La Di Da Di proves that Battles are tight and impressive performers.  Sadly, this album comes ten years too late for their career.  The pop experimentation on Mirrored and Gloss Drop just feels more substantial than what's on La Di Da Di.  It's like something is missing from these sessions.   Especially when some of the tracks rely too heavily on the same rhythm, and don't really transform enough to sustain more than three minutes.  Others fail to build to a satisfying climax.  Only "The Yabba" and "Luu Le" seem to make a real impression, while everything else in between comes off as Battles "just messin around".

That's a tough criticism to have because, I know it's untrue if you take the time to really investigate and pick these songs apart.   It's hard to build a case against that glib remark when songs like "Tricentennial" and "Megatouch" are literally that irritating to listen to.  The second half of the album  physically gives me a headache because of the high-end soundscape they use.  A lot of tracks throughout feel incomplete.  Some like "Dot Com" and "Summer Simmer" are quite good, but would otherwise be cool down or transitionary tracks on the previous releases.

It sounds like I'm really dragging this album through the mud.  i should reiterate that the band's talented performance still shines through.  While John Stanier doesn't have as many opportunities to really shine, his drumming is still impossibly precise as ever.  La Di Da Di is much more of a band effort this time out, with no one really getting their solo stuff in.  There is still at least a good 30 minutes of good music here; but even if the album were just six really good songs, it still would have felt shallow.  There is no "Atlas" to be found here.  No "Ice Cream".  Just a bunch of "Futura"s.  "Futura" was a great song on Gloss Drop!  If you're in a certain mindset, you could argue it was the best track on Gloss Drop!  Sadly, what La Di Da Di proves more than anything is that an album of just "Futura"s isn't going to cut it for where they are right now.  That ship has sailed.