(Mom + Pop Music/NEET)
Near the end of last year Sleigh Bells dropped “Crown On The
Ground,” a single marked not only by its winning combination of sludgy guitar
and synth-girl vocals, but by how incredibly LOUD it was – a jarring assault on
the unsuspecting headphone listener. The cover audaciously scrawled the name in
red cursive over a banana yellow background, a la Jimmy Buffet. And with all
senses completely overwhelmed, you’re left wondering, who the hell are these
folks, who make their long-playing debut on the aptly-titled Treats?
Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller are, believe it or not, a Brooklyn duo. She’s got a background in teen pop, and he
hails from post-hardcore roots. Everything is exactly at it seems. Embracing
the surface, “Tell ‘Em” follows suit to
kick it off with a thumping industrial beat that’s fun in the way Orgy’s cover
of “Blue Monday” was hilarious. The rapid fire onslaught of Miller’s dense
riffage and Krauss’s sickly-sweet word-curling rise up and separate from an
electro-din, unlike the similar sounding Crystal Castles, whose Alice Glass
buries her voice in the mayhem.
As the title track fades, Krauss seductively pants with the
beat, laughs, and then a few extra chords get pounded out. A jaw dropper from
start to finish.
Standout Tracks: “Crown On The Ground,” “Infinity
Guitars” ZACH BLOOM