After releasing their first album in 2007, experimental supergroup Battles toured the world relentlessly. The effort paid off: By 2010, two of their songs had been featured on an episode of Skins, and one was on the deluxe soundtrack for Twilight: Eclipse. But just as they were finishing a second album, lead singer Tyondai Braxton ditched the group to pursue a solo career.

Some bands would have released the nearly done album as is. Not Battles. The remaining members didn’t want to put out something that no longer represented them, so they combed through the tracks, removing Braxton’s voice as well as his guitar and keyboard work. “We took out all of Ty’s parts, anywhere he had a hand in songwriting,” guitarist Ian Williams says. They layered new material over the salvaged bass lines and chord progressions, then called in guest vocalists to finish things off.

The resulting album, Gloss Drop, just hit, and the first single, “Ice Cream (featuring Matias Aguayo),” has already been featured on the BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record in the World. Not bad for a salvage title.