Mountain Battles (Bonus Track Version)

The Breeders first album in six years, since 2002’s delightfully offhanded Title TK, works with quick efficiency and a devotion to raw, weird intimacy. The Deal sisters, Kelley and Kim, work in simpatico rhythms and harmonies that often defy outward logic but adhere to an intrinsic beauty that sounds as deliberate as it does accidental; the rough edges are smoother than they initially appear. The sisters harmonize in German for “German Studies,” play straight Spanish nightclub pop for “Regalame Esta Noche,” embrace French pop for “Night of Joy,” jam out minimalist 1977 punk for “It’s the Law” and prepare for lift-off with the primitive Brian Eno-sounding cheap synthesizers of the title track. The songs happen quickly: 13 in just under 37 minutes. Several lean exercises nearly pass unnoticed as their brevity and stubborn quietness do not draw attention to themselves. “Overglazed” begins with a whisper. “Istanbul” works up to a groggy beat that walks into the positively upbeat “Walk It Off” where there’s nearly a cocky swagger. Plenty of little moments that bear frequent repeating.