Treats

I love noise rock (e.g., Sonic Youth, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, many punk bands), and can't stop listening to Treats. This album takes distortion, buzz, and fuzz to a new level, but in a different direction than heavy metal, speed metal, or thrash.While the 1st half is kind of slow and repetitious (except for Infinity Guitars), the 2nd half is a landmark in creative distortion. Rill Rill gets things going with pop-accessible melody, and this is followed by 3 of the most over-the-top loud sounding songs ever recorded. Crown on the Ground, Straight A's, and A/B Machines opened my ears to new sonic possibilities, and are the musical equivalent of a standing next to a race car. You may or may not like these songs, but they made me want to start recording noise rock myself. The final song, Treats, brings the hard and soft together and appropriately closes the album.The trick is that a sensation of power is present even with the volume set low; Sleigh Bells somehow created an overwhelming live concert feel. This album is not for everyone, so I recommend previewing on Amazon, Youtube, etc.

Drums that sound like exploding bombs, guitars in maximum overdrive- distorted, screaming monsters; sweet female vocals by Alexis Krauss that somehow mesh perfectly with the crunchy, LOUD madness of Derek Miller's instrumentation- this is the sound of Sleigh Bells and like others have mentioned, you're either going to hate it or love it- there's no middle ground. Over the top in a good way, I love `em! My favorite tracks include the opening "Tell `Em" with its machine gun beats, crazed guitar and sing-song vocals. I dig "Kids" and "Riot Rhythm" for their rah-rah vocals over a martial beat and the weird little background voices. In fact, a lot of the songs here feature those rah-rah type vocals (which befit the cover and give the album a cohesive feel) like another one of my faves- "Infinity Guitars". The next few songs that begin with `R' slow the pace down a bit and sound a little less relentless which provide a welcome temporary change in the album's tone before being sonically assaulted again with the likes of "Crown On The Ground", "Straight A's" and "A/B Machines". The title song and final track ends the CD with appropriate bombastic majesty. Some people have complained that a lot of this music was done with a lap top. I don't care whether they used a lap top or a toaster oven- I for one can't wait to hear what they do next (if I still have eardrums)!

As many have stated, Sleigh Bells have gotten a lot of buzz over the past year for their unique sound. There isn't an easy way to classify Treats; Some have drawn parallels to late 90's rap infused with The White Stripes and Le Tigre or MIA's Arular. There's even some classic rock influences to be found. All are valid, but there's enough going on here that the album as a whole has no comparison.Derek Miller's hardcore roots are evident here, as is Alexis Krauss' previous work in a girl group. The two seem destined to clash, but defy the cynics and become one of the most interesting new acts this year.From the beginning track, "Tell 'Em," I was hooked on the booming bass, storming guitar and Alexis' beautiful voice. The following track, "Kids," is one of the primary tracks that draws comparisons to late 90's rap. "Riot Rhythm" follows the first track's sound closely, and uses some addictive guitar riffs at that. "Infinity Guitars" is among one of the harsher tracks on the album, and also seems slightly out of place, but the change of pace is definitely appreciated. "Run the Heart" reminds me again of "Kids" in it's use of rap synth and beats."Straight A's" is the loudest track on the album. Without doubt. It brings a whole new meaning to loud, and makes the music seem larger than life. It's followed up with "A/B Machines," a simple 2 line song that will probably become some sort of dancehall remix favorite. It will also immediately remind some of MIA with the vocal style.The namesake of the album, "Treats," is an interesting culmination for the album, and seems like an appropriate closer. It starts off by sounding like a Smiths song, then returns to form. I was happy that it didn't end on a poor note; too many albums as of late have and it just seems disappointing when an otherwise strong album leaves off weakly.What is most obvious and interesting is the shear noise and force that Alexis' often crystal, proper voice sings through; Pitchfork compared it to a tempest that she seems accustomed to and has no problem singing over. I agree completely; they pull off this dynamic over most of the album, but give the listener a few moments of rest. A couple of instances of this are in the tracks, "Rachel" and "Rill Rill," both of which slow down the album appropriately for the coming storm of the second half of the album.Each consecutive listen of the album has me more excited for the possibilities and future of Sleigh Bells. At the same time, I'm slightly worried they may become "the new thing" and get played to death. Their sound may wear thin, or become a gimmick. Also, (and this has been stated by many) the band will polarize listeners. It's enough pop to draw a lot of otherwise Top-40 only listeners, but some will find it too loud and aggressive.For now though, I'm going to listen to and enjoy the album. I suggest you do to.

If this album does anything, it shows a great exhibition of how interesting music could be when the decision is made to embrace the latest technology. For me, the drums hit new frequencies I've never heard on a track before. Listening to "Infinity Guitars" for the first time in transcendental. It's definitely a pleasant, heart-pumping listening experience. Alexis Krauss has a great voice. The combination of her voice and the processed drums and guitar sounds like an ingenuous angel who decided to stop in and perform at a house club. The songwriting is also fairly impressive. "Rill Rill" definitely has all the elements on a great, well-written song. I think now that they've settled on an interesting, unique sound, they have great potential. I think on their future releases they probably need to focus more on lyrics just to keep their releases fresh.