Sleigh Bells make a welcome return with sixth album ‘Texis’ on 10 September. The band claim they let go of all inhibitions when it came to writing and recording this album with Derek Miller saying: ‘We stopped worrying about whether or not we’re in or out of our comfort zone, or if we were being repetitive or formulaic’….
‘Sweet 75’ opens the album with beats, handclaps and deep bass notes as Alexis Krausss sings ‘Here we go’ before lamenting on the true power of rock and roll and how the ‘good time boys are here to free the world’. ‘An Acre Lost’ follows, offering a thrilling combination of downtown groove and pop sensibilities as Alexis passionately warns ‘Don’t kid yourself, don’t kid anyone else’. ‘I’m Not Down’ finds melodic movements swamped up in stop-start glitchy moments as the band offer messages of support to a loved one: ‘We’re sad and that’s OK’.
‘Justine Go Genesis’ was the first song to be written for the album, with Derek unsure if he’d gone too far with the metal riffs… Instead, the band decided to embrace this experimental edge and loved how it complemented the pacy tempo – and you will be so glad they decided to as it’s a true thrill. ‘Tennessee Tips’ follows and this song falls somewhere between LCD Soundsystem, Let’s Eat Grandma and Taylor Swift – it’s potent and all over the place but in the best possible way as Alexis reminds herself ‘All I have to do is see. All I have to do is breathe’.
While ‘Rosary’ has stabbed synths and a hypnotic rhythm, ‘True Seekers’ feels like it’s soundtracking the climax of a coming-of-age film when the protaganist either gets the guy/girl or – more likely – gets one over the authorities. Alexis reveals ‘This is gonna hurt but it’s worth it’ before then telling the subject ‘I love you legend, let it go, I love your legend, I hope you know’. The album finishes with the samba-tinged ‘Hummingbird Bomb’ – a piece of fractured pop that blends drum machine beats with samples and synths.
Experimental but never less than exhilarating, ‘Texis’ takes you on a journey that you won’t want to stop…
