Against all the odds, Battles slowly but surely became the world’s favourite experimental math rock band. After enjoying a crossover hit with the colossal ‘Atlas’ in 2007, Tyondai Braxton departed. Dave Konopka, Ian Williams and John Stanier soldiered on with Gloss Drop. And now comes La Di Da Di, a much better album, with a superior sound, as well as fresh ideas, production and, crucially, tunes.
The record has been intriguingly described by the band as “a mushrooming monolith of repetition.” This might indicate some kind of noodly nerd’s paradise – and a type of post-rock purgatory for the rest of us. In fact, La Di Da Di is joyful and euphoric.
There is both meat and substance to what’s going on here. Opening with the impressive ‘The Yabba’, across its twelve tracks, La Di Dah Di is a thrilling exercise in demented funk, twisted techno, propulsive post-rock and just about everything else but the kitchen sink. ‘Summer Simmer’ is my own fave, but the truth is that, on this evidence, if Battles actually were to play the kitchen sink, it would still sound remarkable and inspiring.