Treats starts off with the sonic blast to the face that is the Brooklyn male/female power-electro duo’s debut single ‘Tell ‘Em’. A rapid-fire blast of drums followed by overdriven guitar shakes you into fun-packed Sleigh Bell action which proves to be the most exciting album of 2010.

The fact that guitarist and music-man Derek Miller plied his trade in the hardcore band Poison the Well before this venture speaks (very loud) volumes; he’s spent years in the live arena blasting people’s faces with non-stop sonic assaults so he knows the method and results. This knowledge creates a gulf between this album and one that tried to create the same effect with nothing but a guy geeking around on a laptop in his bedroom. Everything on the album is turned up to max and no track outstays its welcome. Rarely does an album come along with such energy and the blasts of abrasive noise are deliciously offset by lady singer Alexis Krauss’ sweet, catchy and slightly deadpan delivery that only makes you want to dance. There are softer moments which fuse the whistful musings of My Bloody Valentine with the deep electronic grain of Holy Fuck over building layer rhythms of voice, handclaps and guitars.

Treats is a real wake up call for the listener and electronic crossover music as a whole. From the off, this is an album that forcibly demands your attention but the rewards far outweigh the cost.

-TC

Tags: Sleigh Bells, Treats
Posted in Reviews