Well would you look at what we have here…one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year is also one of the VERY few albums that did not leak early this year. The Sleigh Bells duo of Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller are sort of the darlings of the indie music world right now, and I think I was so surprised by the high energy of “Tell ‘Em” that I don’t really know what to expect. So now that the album has been purchased, it’s time to buckle down and give it a listen. And since you all care so much what I think (sarcasm), I’m going to tell you how it goes, as it happens.
1. Tell ‘Em: Click here for my thoughts on this song. I like it. Like I said, it was really great/interesting to see how these new tunes compared to the demos, and I think the consensus is that they are going to be much bigger.
2. Kids: Sort of an electric guitar emergency alarm thing going on. Sounds a lot like it could be an M.I.A. song in some ways(which kind of makes sense since the album was put out on her label, or something like that). Distorted kids talking voices ring out. But certainly no lack of energy.
3. Riot Rhythm: More high energy! I like high energy. Wailing guitar riff finds its way in throughout the track. Didn’t really love it or hate it, but it was still fun on a Tuesday morning.
4. Infinity Guitars: An old familiar friend. I really like the contrast between the heavy guitars and yell-singing (I think that’s the official term) paired with the Krauss crooned “ah-ah-ah-ah”s. It still has that gritty sound of the demo, which I enjoy. In fact, does anyone know if they re-recorded the demo stuff? I also like the last 40 seconds a lot when it gets even bigger.
5. Run the Heart: Slower and more subdued start than anything else so far. Reallllly cool electronic effects at about 30 seconds in! I like how even the “slow songs” are super loud, but this is a welcome change after the craziness of the first few songs. “You took a heart, I can take out you.” This gal ain’t messin around.
6. Rachel: Another “slower” tune, which of course is all relative to the first 4 tracks. Still in your face though, and that’s never a bad thing. Apparently this song is about someone named Rachel, but I couldn’t understand any of the other lyrics, which is fine.
7. Rill Rill: Hecks yes!! A quick perusal of the playlist revealed no “Ring Ring”, but it’s just called “Rill Rill” now, and it’s so much prettier than the demo version (even though I lurve the demo version). Sounded like some sort of church bells in the beginning. Also the clearest song thus far (aka no distortion from things being too loud). This is definitely a major “demo to debut album re-recorded song” WIN. I LOVE the addition of the bells. So much.
8. Crown on the Ground: Wonder if this one will get changed up too? So far doesn’t sound noticeably different like that last one, but I am totally fine with that because I always liked this one anyway. Not much else to say, you’ve all heard/loved it already.
9. Straight A’s: Holy cow. Heavy metal what what? That was a nice little minute and a half that probably blows the roof off in a live setting.
10. A/B Machines: Believe it or not, I don’t think I ever heard this one before (and I think it was one of the demos?). Pretty much love it though. The whole “so loud its fuzzy” thing is starting to wear on me a little bit, but I am by no means suffering. I am curious how this would all sound without it though, because all I want to do is blast this music, and that’s kind of preventing me from doing it.
11. Treats: I liked the seamless transition from the last song to this one. The vocals have a bit of a Middle Eastern vibe to them (well, with the music, the heavy metal version of a Middle Eastern vibe). Shoutout to all my fellow Middle Easterners!
And just like that, it’s over. Like I said, this definitely packed the most energy of any recent albums I’ve heard. And like I also said, the loud to the point of distortion thing got a little old for me after a while (which is why it was do damn refreshing to hear “Rill Rill” right in the middle of it all, but major props to them for doing what they do. That being said, a great first release from the duo who has been hampered by expectation for so long now. It’s a great addition to my musical repertoire with summer right around the corner. If you like to try it before you buy it, you can listen to the whole album streaming now on NPR.
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