It's been four years since New York City-based math-rock super-group Battles released its debut album Mirrored on Warp Records, and while the band members mostly have been hanging low during that time, the band name has slowly become a popular one.

Although the departure of longtime vocalist Tyondai Braxton threw into question whether a second album would be as good as the first, the band members didn't hesitate to write some of the best songs of their career for the latest release.

Gloss Drop, set to be released early in June on Warp, contains 12 songs that range from progressive instrumental odysseys ("White Electric") to feel-good jams ("Sweetie & Shag"). The album kicks off with "Africastle," a dreamy and atmospheric throwback to the band's early days. Main single "Ice Cream" is next, but is outdone by the excellent "Wall Street" and the tropical sounding "Dominican Fade." "Sundome" ends the album with its predominantly Jamaican jukebox sound.

Battles retain its signature instrumental sound, a blend of Keelhaul, Sleeping People, Slint and Don Caballero, but the absence of Braxton's indecipherably cute pitch-shifted vocals makes some of the songs feel incomplete. Guest musicians including Gary Numan, Matias Aguayo, Yamantaka Eye and Kazu Makino.

Even without a singer, Battles can still write songs that tickle the fancy and stir up the imagination.

Vaughn Fortier-Shultz is a junior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach him at moosemanxl@gmail.com.