Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid review

Comeback Kid by Sleigh Bells
I know that this has been out for a while but I felt compelled to write about it because I've been listening to it compulsively since its release. While I loved their first album Treats, it felt like an album with a shelf life and after the giddy rush of its sound wore off, I found myself listening to it less and less. Don't get me wrong, girly vocals mashed with gnarly guitars and heavy drums was a quick way to my heart but the songs seemed half formed in some ways. By this I mean their appeal was more in the sound rather than in the songwriting itself. I still love those songs but they're not strong enough to lift the band far beyond novelty status in my mind. However, that's all changed with this single.

Comeback Kid feels like an excellent evolution from Treats because they haven't strayed too far from the sound that makes them so singular but with much stronger songwriting. Sure, they've toned down the sonic distorted crunch a little and focussed on the pop a bit more but this song is instantly memorable and trust me, gets stuck in your head for hours in a time. By pushing Alexis Krauss's vocals to the front of the mix and refining the sonic clash into a shiny, sexy barrage, Sleigh Bells have revealed themselves for what they are - a fucking great pop band and for that I salute them. Definitely the best single of the year so far.

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