After a trio of instrumental-relying rock EPs, Battles has added vocals to their first full-length’not that you’ll understand a word, or that you need to, for that matter. There are a bunch of similarly named acts on the indie circuit (from Vancouver to London), but this Battles stands above. In that Animal Collective forest of folktronica, Battles sticks anything cute and fluffy in hard snares and makes sure the meekest get bludgeoned with metal guitar riff shrapnel. Every song on the 52-minute masterpiece builds and bridges until everything self-destructs and the only thing left to do is dance. Tyondai Braxton’s warped vocals are incomprehensibly (sound)effected and in a band full of technicians, they are some of the album’s most unique moments. The contributions from drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk), guitarist-keyboardist Ian Williams (Don Caballero) and guitarist David Konopka (Lynx) result in an indie rock experience that, itself, experiences some genuinely funky breakdowns. Droney jazz solos get kirked out on just the right amount of acid rock and whirlwinds of sound leave dazzling trails for psychedelic minutes on end. Stanier’s slapping of skins is often violent and filled with angst while squarely and calmly hitting every cue. The energy of Mirrored is unavoidable, especially on lead single ‘Atlas,’ where the kilowattage only sinks to harshen the impact of its inevitable and repeated explosions. When things get quiet, like on aptly named ‘Bad Trails,’ Braxton’s whimsies are warbled beneath reverb-drenched fuzz and playful feedback. Technically, Battles may have added vocals, but it makes this record no less instrumental for your collection.

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