![]() ![]() Through it all, though, Stanier’s steady rhythms keep the track from falling apart. Eventually this sound is also abandoned for something that sounds like big, fat bouncing bubbles. But around the two-minute mark the organ sound is abandoned for a more skittery, staccato synth sound that changes the entire feel of the song. It starts with a slightly creepy organ-based groove that sounds like Battles doing a funked-up take on the Specials’ ”Ghost Town”. That makes it unique amongst Battles material.ĭespite the overall focused feeling, La Di Da Di includes a small handful of longer, meandering tracks. On the other hand, “Tricentennial” starts off with a beat resembling “Atlas”, but once the melody kicks in using a synth that sounds like a broken trombone, the song suddenly sounds like a twisted marching band in a (tricentennial?) parade. It’s an interlude-type piece that would’ve slotted into Gloss Drop without anyone batting an eye. Similarly, “Cacio e Pepe” chugs along on a chunky, distorted synth loop for nearly three minutes while Stanier is relegated to occasional pounding on what sounds like a concert bass drum. “FF Bada” is an uptempo song that trades similar, interlocking riffs back and forth between synths, guitars, and synths that sound like guitars. Some of the tracks here resemble previous Battles material. Despite the refrain only coming along twice in “Dot Com”, the positive vibes and the catchy synth riff carry through the rest of the song. It’s exhilarating to hear the band embrace something so traditional, and it’s the only time on the album that it happens. Williams shows up shortly thereafter with maybe La Di Da Di’s catchiest synth riff before the song bursts into a refrain complete with guitar power chords. The companion piece “Dot Com” starts with similar background sounds, quietly bopping along for about a minute before Stanier and Konopka (on bass) come in with a simple groove. And the fact that the band knows just when to back off of that tone and the beat gives the song the necessary variety to keep from becoming repetitive. “Dot Net” is anchored by an uptempo dance-rock beat but its wobbly, alternately squeaky and buzzy synth tone is what catches the ear. The band continues to emphasize its playful side elsewhere on the album. It’s unusual and very fun, and by keeping the song short the band doesn’t wear out the simple musical idea. And then Stanier drops in with a cool, irregular beat that goes for about ten seconds, stops for another ten seconds, and starts again while the melody and bass continue. La Di Da Di’s strong, fun finish is buoyed by its penultimate song, the 87-second long “Flora > Fauna”, which begins with a manic, high-pitched melody that is quickly joined by a head-bobbing bass accompaniment. Organically, the song shifts into a slower, fatter guitar riff that still feels related to the initial melody, before coasting into a gradual fadeout. After a couple of minutes, Stanier shifts into a slower, funkier groove that relies heavily on kick drum and hi-hat, while Konopka and Williams continue to use variations on their pizzicato tones and initial melody. Although closer “Luu Le” is the longest song on the album, it’s a playful one, opening with an interesting combination of martial snare drumming and sleigh bells from Stanier, and a synth riff that sounds like a slightly distorted pizzicato violin. But when you finish out an album with a pair of seven-minute songs that are not the record’s best, well, it alters listeners’ perceptions of the whole. The lasting impression Gloss Drop left was that it was a bit bloated, which wasn’t necessarily true. Most of the songs here feature a distinctive, central rhythm from Stanier and/or a signature melody of some sort. But in 2015 the band is no longer inclined to lean on singers, and the end result is a more focused album this time around.ĭrummer John Stanier and multi-instrumentalists David Konopka and Ian Williams seem to have honed in on the core elements of their sound for La Di Da Di and built outward from there. And even though many of the songs on that first album Mirrored were instrumental, Battles followed Braxton’s departure with a quartet of tracks featuring guest vocalists on 2011’s Gloss Drop. Founding member Tyondai Braxton’s heavily distorted vocals contributed greatly to the band’s initial single “Atlas” getting the band some early recognition. ![]() As for the actual lede that I did bury up there, yes as of La Di Da Di, Battles has gone fully instrumental. Maybe the trio is planning on saving those two songs for the opening of their next two albums. ![]() Battles kick off their third album with a track called “The Yabba”, but refuse to follow it up elsewhere on the record with “The Dabba” or “The Doo.” Other fans of Fred Flinstone’s catchphrase and esoteric, instrumental indie rock will surely be as disappointed about this as I was. ![]()
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