As Long As The Singles Are Sick, Hit Play

Sleigh Bells “Badly”

John Peel’s line about The Fall was “they are always different, they are always the same,” and that notion also applies to Sleigh Bells. Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss have stayed true to the basic premise of their band for 15 years: hyper-masculine heavy rock riffs + ultra-feminine pop-as-genre aesthetics + super-charged production. The goal of the production is always the same – get the most hyped-up sound imaginable – but it’s typically the most variable aspect of the formula. Early on, it was mostly blown-out trap beats, but as they’ve moved along Miller has messed around with a lot of wild ideas including hyperactive spins on Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, hardcore punk breakbeats, and chaotic K-pop metal.

This time around on Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, Miller is emphasizing contrast, bouncing between super sugary pop sections and the distinctive dense peak Loudness War guitar tone of the 2000s. I don’t even like that kind of guitar sound in most cases, but he makes it work, especially on “Badly,” where he gets the most out of the style’s implied scope and velocity. He makes you feel like you’re speeding through a Y2K fantasy future in the chorus, and believe it when Krauss sings “the party is hotter than we could ever imagine.” The lyrics are perfectly Sleigh Bells too, acknowledging darkness and pain while striving for transcendental thrills. As with a lot of their songs, the message is clear: Life can be agony, but you’ve got to throw yourself into the best of it while you can.

Buy it from Amazon.