Battles – ICA, London, 20/04/2011

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Photos by Sebastien Dehesdin

No point trying to skirt round the elephant in the room- the departure of Tyondai Braxton, he of impressive hair, even more impressive simultaneous guitar/keyboard playing and a tendency to make sex faces whilst singing, has had a profound effect on Battles. An integral and idiosyncratic cog in their math-rock machine, his absence renders the entirety of their back catalogue impossible to play without major reworking, leaving the band with two options: rearrange the older stuff in what would inevitably be an ersatz fashion, or to excise Braxton’s influence entirely.

Sensibly, they plumped for the latter.

So tonight, there’s no ‘Race-In’, no ‘Tonto’. There’s only new material, which puts the pressure on the band to convince the audience they’re able to survive without their erstwhile compatriot.

Happily, there’s nothing to worry about. Gloss Drop is a more than worthy successor to Mirrored- although it lacks an instant crowd-pleaser in the ‘Atlas’ vein, it’s also generally more melodic, less prone to pretension and underpinned with a light-hearted tropical tinge that works well in a live setting.

Lead single ‘Ice-Cream’ is beefed up considerably tonight, adding a raw edge to its playful guitarwork; ‘Futura’ is a brooding and angular delight. But most significantly, John Stanier remains as formidable a percussive force as ever. His economy of movement is striking; his absurdly high ride cymbal apart, there’s no showboating or wild flailing about. All his energy is focused on persistently pounding the drums with machine-like precision and force – mid-flow, he strikes his kit like a man possessed by a thousand demons; in between songs, he looks like he’s about to die. Whilst Braxton’s individuality lent the band character, Stanier remains its ever-beating heart.

It’s not all perfect. Several of the tracks are rather too sample-heavy – Ian Williams is too often left dancing awkwardly instead of employing the keyboards he’s sandwiched between. And although the guest vocalists works well on the album (there’s some impressive turns by Gary Numan and Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino), their lack of physical presence at the ICA tonight means some tracks aren’t as immersive as they could be. But on the whole, it’s a triumphant return from one of the most talented live acts around – their comrade may have abandoned them, but these Battles are far from lost.