Sleigh Bells continue down that path through dark and twisted mixes of noisy pop, metal, hip hop and punk with Texis. The Brooklyn duo are still thriving in their own lane, swerving in and out of it whenever they please.
Brooklyn's very own Sleigh Bells were changing the game back in 2010 with Treats, their debut album. Treats is a record that is a truly unique blend of bright pop matched with abrasive metal guitars, punk riffs and hip hop beats. There was literally nothing like it at the time in my opinion and still remains as one of the best records over the past decade. Not only was the sound unique at the time but so was the sound mixing and production; it was so incredibly loud, noisy and ear crushing every time you listened to it (think of albums like Andrew W.K.'s I Get Wet for example). The band's music was meant to be blasted through car speakers and at parties across the globe and it gained plenty of positive attention from critics and fans alike. The duo's future albums like Reign of Terror and Bitter Rivals were trying to catch lightning a second time but with cleaner production. They both remained solid albums but the band didn't exactly do anything drastically different until Jessica Rabbit, their fourth studio album in 2016. This is when they took their sound to new heights; it featured plenty of experimentation with progressions and new styles of pop and rock, especially the newer hyperpop genre. It is definitely the band at their riskiest and it's for the best. The risks surely paid off and it's their best record since Treats.
Since 2016 I've been really curious as to what Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller would do next. Considering Jessica Rabbit, which is 5 years ago believe it or not, I was hoping for the band to further explore the depths of the newer and diverse sounds they were pining for. Texis, the band's new album, continues down that path through dark and twisted mixes of noisy pop, metal, hip hop and punk. There are more synths and beats than before and there is a more direct pop approach. In contrast to the more adventurous progressions and experimentations from their last album, Sleigh Bells sound simpler and more approachable this time. Not to say they aren't experimenting on Texis, they still are. There is that same aesthetic combination of heavy metal guitar riffs, bright synth leads, electronic beats and bright vocals. The songs are shorter and more straightforward though. Clocking in at 35 minutes in length, Sleigh Bells don't play around.
Of course they do sonically. Lead single "Locust Laced" has the best hooks on the album with some surprising surf rock guitar riffs from Miller. "SWEET75" features these overtly sweet and high pitched keys that remind me of artists like Sophie or 100 gecs over some repeated samples of background chatter. The moody new wave like guitars that I loved from Jessica Rabbit are here too like on "An Acre Lost." The explosiveness and songwriting of "Justine Go Genesis" is arguably the album's most crafted track. I enjoy the different altered vocals from "Tennessee Tips" and the moody and brooding "Rosary" which has some nicely added acoustic guitars. The guitar riffs and breakdown from "Red Flag Flies" are one the album's most enjoyable moments. The album's closer "Hummingbird Bomb" is the album's most unique curveball with layered vocal samples and club influenced track. It sounds like if Robyn joined a metal band who wanted to perform at fashion shows.
The songs on Texis are enjoyably fun and reminisce the times I spent listening to the heck out of Jessica Rabbit in 2016. Krauss and Miller have taken these dark and twisted instrumentals from that album and condensed them into a more palatable and shortened listen. It sounds like a victory lap of sorts but for me coming into these new tracks five years after Jessica Rabbit, it doesn't sound as refreshingly new or exciting. Not to say it's a bad thing to rehash these old ideas; the songs on Texis are great and are certainly charming to hear. There are some new elements here and there that will please fans especially those who've stuck with them for over a decade. The music of Sleigh Bells still rule to this day and despite the musical landscape being quite different than in 2010, they are still thriving in their own lane, swerving in and out of it whenever they please.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Locust Laced," "Hummingbird Bomb," "An Acre Lost," "SWEET75," "Justine Go Genesis"
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