Battles - Mirrored
Critic Score
Based on 22 reviews
2007 Ratings: #25 / 717
Year End Rank: #6
User Score
Based on 590 ratings
2007 Rank: #48
Liked by 94 people
May 22, 2007 / Release Date
LP / Format
Warp / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Guardian
The way repeated listens allow its unobvious rhythmic and melodic logic to take root is fantastically rewarding.
91
Pitchfork

Mirrored is a breathtaking aesthetic left-turn that sounds less like rock circa 2007 than rock circa 2097, a world where Marshall stacks and micro-processing go hand in hand.

90
Drowned in Sound
Whereas before in their career the four-piece seemingly tossed myriad elements about with little to no regard for the actual acceptability of the composition at hand, here each and every piece – pieces that truly do flow into one another quite magically – sinks into the listener’s synapses silkily, short-circuiting them through disbelief rather than a simmering intolerance.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes

Mirrored is a marvel, dastardly and wholly original as it is, and one of the year’s finest.

90
AllMusic

Mirrored is unlike any recording out there at the moment. It's loud, funny, and astonishingly sophisticated, and doesn't feel pretentious in the least.

90
Alternative Press
At times, the effect is akin to hearing Tortoise and Animal Collective covering the Steve Reich and Devo catalogs in tandem; but such reference points barely do justice to an album that just halfway through 2007, is already topping the year's best-of list in multiple genres.
90
No Ripcord

Powered by its fluid and seeming invincibility, Mirrored is almost firghteningly cosmic.

85
Prefix

The indie-rock universe hasn't coughed up a record as rhythmically thrilling as Mirrored in ages.

84
Time Out London
That its thrilling physicality and brutal minimalism admit not only malevolently groovy epic ‘Atlas’, but also flickering beauty ‘Leyendecker’ is a testament to Battles’ titanic talent. The post-everything dawn breaks here.
80
Under the Radar

Mirrored is a focused, exhausting, and rewarding treasure.

80
Mojo

Mirrored explodes with twisting grooves and obtuse angles.

80
Coke Machine Glow

Mirrored is Battles at their most experimental and their most immediate, their most wanky and most focused.

80
SPIN
Rock that's both fist-pumping and forward-looking.
80
NME

‘Mirrored’ is the sort of album that the sharp rock kids will be citing as an inspiration in the pages of NME in a decade’s time. It’s a glimpse through a prism into a myriad of rock futures, and all of them look like a blast.

80
PopMatters

Even if you’re not much of a cerebral-rock person, take a chance with this one — it pays off.

80
musicOMH

Where before they gave the distinct feel of a quick side-project for a bunch of talented musicians who were currently in other bands, on Mirrored it's clear that their hearts and souls are in every one of these songs.

75
A.V. Club
It works best when the songs sound in thrall to themselves, reacting in different ways while retracing steps, but it also fishtails into missteps ("Rainbow") that sound oddly like Mannheim Steamroller.
70
Rolling Stone

Give Mirrored a handful of listens and you might just enjoy having your brains splattered against your speakers.

60
Slant Magazine

Elaborate time signatures and clever tape manipulations abound, and there's some fun trying to guess which instruments are synthesized and which are authentic, but Mirrored suffers from being too bright and spirited.

60
The Observer
Avant-rockers who aren't afraid to let their hair down.
60
The Irish Times
Odd flashes of showboating aside, it's the simple dexterity of Leyedecker, the tightly spun Tonto and the crackle of Race In that make a mark.
Plats
95

I was beyond excited to listen to "Mirrored" when I heard "Atlas" and it pretty much met my expectations and then some! This record is experimental rock played to the most fun and music theory-laden extremes. I was always ecstatic to see what happened next in the record, whether it be the brief detours or the colossal tracks that remain some of the best math rock bangers in recent memory. Overall, "Mirrored" is a catchy and captivating record that I'll definitely ... read more

KIDWITHGUNs
84

SOLID!

You don't know what a "banger" is until you've heard tracks like; "Atlas" or "Tonto" or especially "Tij".

This album is like the murder who's already caught you, and is now carefully contemplating where to leave your remains. No one really talks about the eerie aesthetic, it might just be me. But I feel quite anxious to get to the next moment of the record.

VIBES - ●ALLEY•

Toasterqueen12
77

Number 26:

Battles. Battles is Good. Battles makes me feel like I’m the future riding a roller coaster past all the landmarks of the 29th Century. Song like Ddiamondd and Race: Out are just so much fun. Not as good as Gloss Drop, but still, Battles.

Mozart
84

One of the most amusing and outlandish musical projects I've heard in a while.

"Mirrored" by Battles is absolutely one-of-a-kind album! Released in 2007, each member's musicianship of the back then four-piece compliments the playful yet futuristic experimental rock soundscapes the band has to offer. You will find a lot of repetitive rhythms, addictive riffs and weird sound effects being used here. Tyondai Braxton, their frontman at the time, adds inflected and manipulated vocal ... read more

DillicicleReal
100

One of the most interesting math rock albums, hell even the most interesting rock albums in general. Every track puts emphasis on a certain instrument and highlights the shear amount of instruments they know how to play. PLEASE GIVE THIS A LISTEN.

moris_urari
100

This avant-garde masterpiece blends elements of math rock, experimental rock, post-rock and electronic music into a cohesive and mesmerizing sonic journey. And after 17 years, it sounds as futuristic as it did to my ears in 2007.

Battles demonstrates a willingness to push boundaries and explore new sonic territory. Tracks like "Leyendecker" and "Tonto" showcase the band's mastery of texture and atmosphere, while songs like "Ddiamondd" and "Tij" highlight ... read more

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Track List

1Race - In
4:50
86
2Atlas
7:06
92
3Ddiamondd
2:33
84
4Tonto
7:43
90
5Leyendecker
2:48
82
6Rainbow
8:11
84
7Bad Trails
5:18
80
8Prismism
0:52
78
9Snare Hangar
1:58
82
10Tij
7:03
90
11Race - Out
3:29
84
Total Length: 51 minutes
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