People like to lash out against bands that get too much hype because they believe it to be not only undeservedly too soon, but because an unknown band is getting the recognition that should be placed upon another. These people are quick to dismiss these musical efforts no matter how revolutionary they are. They claim the sound does not live up to the hype. I, sometimes, am one of Them. But, it is hard to shield oneself away from the shimmering brilliancy that blinds me. The excruciatingly wretched labor pains lumberingly scream through the fresh air of birth on the debut release, Treats, by Sleigh Bells.
When Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss joined their equally polarizing forces, the mixture created could not have been more inducing of opposition. Derek, from hardcore music roots via Poison The Well, and Alexis, from gloss smeared girl-pop roots via Rubyblue, were fused together by way of a fateful New York dinner where Alexis ordered and Derek served. This story could almost be a tragically cliche plot in a Disney film if it weren’t for the amazingly original, and incredibly violent genre bending music produced. What Sleigh Bells has done is created something that musicians have strived for but haven’t achieved in awhile. They also created something that will take years to be fully duplicated in a legitimately respectable way. Not since Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion has there been an album that defies preconceived notions of what music should and will sound like.
The previously released tracks off of their demo offering 2HELLWU are present. “Beach Girls” is now “Kids” and displays a reworking that brings a cleaner and more fluid sound to the song. The massive gain and reverb used in the early demos is still the main focal point of the sound created, however the high end has been lowered in order to save shattering one’s speakers. “Infinity Guitars” is still mostly the same until erupts into one of the loudest distortionary explosions in music history. “Ring Ring” is now “Rill Rill” and it too also benefits from a cleaned up reworking. To agree with Chris Rambo, I also believe that this song has real crossover potential and sails effortlessly into immediate classic status. Both “Crown On The Ground,” and “A/B Machines” are relatively untouched which is what I had hoped for considering how attached I was to the original sound of the demo versions; the two songs were already perfect and needn’t be altered.
As for the new songs on the album: “Tell ‘Em,” the first single, kicks the door down and steals any contradictory thoughts as to whether this album will be an immense reconstruction of modern pop music. “Riot Rhythm” opens with a guitar riff that is reminiscent of The Pixies and drums that scream for stadium bleachers to pound with your feet. Not since Nirvana has a band created pop music so effectively around such gritty, crunchy, and searing guitar sounds. “Run the Heart” brings the bombastic stomp to a new level; there is a giant at the top of this beanstalk and he is jumping upon the gravity between him and those tiny objects below his feet. “Rachel” is a beautifully structured shoe-gaze song that proves how ethereal and intoxicating Alexis’s vocals truly are. Though her lyrics are often unintelligible and covered by layers of guitar, drum, and electronics, her voice is still what gives the album it’s immediate pop appeal. The surf-rock and grindcore mash up, surf-core?, that is achieved in “Straight A’s” sounds almost as if the instruments are on fire. It is the shortest song on the album, and by the time you regain your equilibrium Alexis is shouting like a deranged child. The song’s full-force blasting reminds me of “Tourette’s” from Nirvana’s In Utero. The closing song on the album, “Treats,” leaves the listener wanting more and more and more. The closing song is reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails in it’s instrumentation and vocal melodies, but it far exceeds anything that Mr. Reznor has offered up since either The Downward Spiral, or The Fragile.
Treats, the debut album from Sleigh Bells, is a juggernaut of a release. It redefines almost everything about pop, rock, and hip-hop music, while contributing immensely to a palate that has grown weak and infertile with time. Now, I may be overreacting; I may be way to excited about this album, so much so that it clouds my judgment. But, whether or not my own thoughts and proclamations are hindered, the album stands by itself for those who doubt it’s power. Listen and reach your own conclusions. I guarantee you will find that this offering is far more important to the world of music than those who skeptically state otherwise.
