Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals
Release Date: 4 October
Label: Mom + Pop Music
Rating: 4.0 out of 10
Label: Mom + Pop Music
Rating: 4.0 out of 10
Mango ice cream. Weird. But it reminds me of Sleigh Bells. It's an unusual flavour. Often imitated, never duplicated. In SB's case, they are so leftfield that no one has really imitated them. They themselves are only an imitation of a cheerleader gone wild and a guitarist bored with his metal band. Original as they are, there is only so much you can do with that. Savage 80's guitar riffs. Check. Sugar sweet vocals. Check. Indistinct screamy lyrics. Check.
Two albums in and Sleigh Bells had covered all their bases in terms of whatever the hell it was that inspired them in the first place.
What do you do when you've initiated your quirky franchise and don't quite know what to do with it?
Well, this album answers that question. In a frantic effort to hold onto whatever attention they garnered with their first efforts, SB have projectile vomited out a half formed, cheesy-as-crap thing that does no justice to their previous output. You can hear what Alexis is singing now, but you just don't care anymore. And with the sheer amount of bratty, cartoon lyrics, you really wish she would shut up. They were the band it was cool to listen to. You were a badass for pumping 'Treats' out of your headphones. How things change. They still think they're cool. But I'm afraid they've kind of become the butt of the jokes at school. They're not even being lame in a cool way. It's a bit like your aging mum and dad doing their best Sandy and Danny impression (Grease reference). They're having a whale of a time and you are slinking away in shame, baseball cap pulled down over your face. The only good thing is doesn't last very long. 30 minutes in and it's safe to come out of your cap. '24' is a genuinely great moment. It is probably the best thought out song here. The closing track makes it very close to being brilliant too. Finally hitting the right note and the album is over.
Had they given themselves more time, got out of what must be an incredibly restrictive pool of inspiration and maybe received an outside voice on the album (the likes of Rick Rubin perhaps), we might have heard something fuller and more well formed. It's very hard to take this album seriously though. It's the t shirt you buy in the budget section of Top Man because you spilled mustard on the one you were wearing. It gets you by, but will not be a staple of your music rotations. I don't want to rule them out and kind of hope they don't go all serious and mature. Ever. Their perspective, limited as it is, remains fresh and exciting. This just feels like the awkward second album. The mango ice cream is melting fast. It may be better as a milkshake..
WVS
Two albums in and Sleigh Bells had covered all their bases in terms of whatever the hell it was that inspired them in the first place.
What do you do when you've initiated your quirky franchise and don't quite know what to do with it?
Well, this album answers that question. In a frantic effort to hold onto whatever attention they garnered with their first efforts, SB have projectile vomited out a half formed, cheesy-as-crap thing that does no justice to their previous output. You can hear what Alexis is singing now, but you just don't care anymore. And with the sheer amount of bratty, cartoon lyrics, you really wish she would shut up. They were the band it was cool to listen to. You were a badass for pumping 'Treats' out of your headphones. How things change. They still think they're cool. But I'm afraid they've kind of become the butt of the jokes at school. They're not even being lame in a cool way. It's a bit like your aging mum and dad doing their best Sandy and Danny impression (Grease reference). They're having a whale of a time and you are slinking away in shame, baseball cap pulled down over your face. The only good thing is doesn't last very long. 30 minutes in and it's safe to come out of your cap. '24' is a genuinely great moment. It is probably the best thought out song here. The closing track makes it very close to being brilliant too. Finally hitting the right note and the album is over.
Had they given themselves more time, got out of what must be an incredibly restrictive pool of inspiration and maybe received an outside voice on the album (the likes of Rick Rubin perhaps), we might have heard something fuller and more well formed. It's very hard to take this album seriously though. It's the t shirt you buy in the budget section of Top Man because you spilled mustard on the one you were wearing. It gets you by, but will not be a staple of your music rotations. I don't want to rule them out and kind of hope they don't go all serious and mature. Ever. Their perspective, limited as it is, remains fresh and exciting. This just feels like the awkward second album. The mango ice cream is melting fast. It may be better as a milkshake..
WVS
Ultimate hair stylist prank: giving the lead singer a flock of seagulls while she sleeps...
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