Sleigh Bells- Treats (Album Review)

Dance!

This album makes you want to get up and move! If you aren’t moving then this album is not doing what it is supposed to. There are dirty electric sounds, drum machine beats and soft melodic vocals that blend together nicely. The sound is very hard to classify and even the two members Derek E. Miller (guitar, writer, producer), and Alexis Krauss (vocalist) can’t really describe it. The best that I can do is call it noise pop and let it be what it is. The style is unique and exciting the first time that you hear it, creating an instant love for the band (or the opposite...). This is their first full length release though they had an EP but many of the songs were redone to form this LP.

The Good!

The music is creative and combines instruments and styles that you would not have been expected to merge. The combination and the beats really do make you move and you can feel the music all the way to your bones. The vocals are also a strength in the music and they are very easy to listen to even when the music gets harsh at times. The song ‘Rill Rill’ is the easiest to listen to and doesn’t have some of the more annoying noises that some of the other songs have, it is definitely more accessible though if every song was like this they would be forgettable.

The Bad...

The music can get repetitive and just noisy at times by using shrill alarms and screeching guitar parts. If you are not in the mood to dance, move, or at least bob your head a little then this music may just annoy you. The music is not easy to sing to and it is also not easy to remember. The lyrics are simple, often can’t be distinguished and one song just repeats the same line the whole time.

Overall?

3.5 out of 5. Very exciting the first time you hear it but the novelty wears off. Yet, every time a  dance party happens you can always put it back on and remember why you liked it in the first place. If they tone down the noise part of the band and focus on the dance pop sound then they will be a band that many more people could listen to and more ticks on the play count.