We love prog rock. A lot. Like, even more than the uncle who never moved out of your grandma's house. But we will consider that prog usually doesn't qualify as great party music — if you're at a party and everyone wants to listen to Van der Graaf Generator's
H to He, Who Am The Only One, you really might want to reconsider the people you're partying with. Which is what makes Battles' new LP
Gloss Drop such a rare and wonderful contribution to the canon. Born in the wake of a founding member's departure and an arduous re-recording process,
Gloss Drop is cathartic and intense while delivering catchy, hip-shaking prog tunes. No we're not kidding — Gloss manages to be fun as hell and push the outer boundaries of what rock music can be, but never gets stuck in “Owner of a Lonely Heart”-type schmaltz.
— Sean L. Maloney