It’s been a hot minute since I’ve really listened to a lot of Sleigh Bells, but a few months ago when I stumbled upon their single, “Locust Laced,” I knew I’d be looking out for their next album. Well, that time has arrived!
Sleigh Bells latest album, Texis, starts off right with the opening track “SWEET75.” It builds up slowly with a really catchy EDM-type beat, then when Alexis Krauss’ angelic vocals kick in, so does their signature ripping guitar riffs. It’s a perfect opener and who can’t relate to the line “a little me time in my free time.” I feel that, especially this past year and some change (thanks for nothing, pandemic). Obviously, “Locust Laced” would have to be my favorite song off the record, but “Knowing” is pretty damn fun with a sort of industrial techno feel to it. “Tennessee Ten” also seems like the perfect compliment to that song by being infused with a bit of an 80s edge to it. It was a really fun listen!
Other strong tracks off the record include “An Acre Lost” which felt a little bland at first, but then added in a riff that sounded like it belonged in a classic horror film – loved that! “Justine Go Genesis” is perhaps the most punk track off of the album, which basically means I’ll automatically like it (which I do). I could see festival crowds rocking and moshing to this in the near future. And finally, “Red Flag Flies” was a really randomly fun track to listen to, and immediately caught my attention because I vividly thought of one of my favorite shows, Mr. Robot, when it first started. If a song can make me strongly think of something I like, whether it’s another song, or film, or whatever, it’s a win in my book. And you know what, yeah, red flags really do fly for some people – ha!
Of course, while I’d love every track off of this record to be a hit, there were a few that were just middle of the road, but that certainly doesn’t mean they were bad. Some that just didn’t really stand out to me my first time through the album were “I’m Not Down,” “Rosary,” “True Seekers,” and “Hummingbird Bomb.” With that being said, I could totally see “True Seekers” becoming a mainstream radio hit if they would give it a chance. Also, something really strange happened when listening to “Rosary.” It sounded like Alexis channeled her inner Christina Aguilera! In all honesty, if I just heard those parts, I would probably think it was a new Christina song. I think that’s a pretty cool accomplishment given that I’m only ever used to hearing Krauss’ high soprano vocals.
Overall, Texis was a great album for Sleigh Bells to re-enter the world with. They are on tour currently, but not coming close enough for me to see in this pandemic surge. Hopefully things will die down a little bit next year and I get the chance to see them a little closer to home. Or better yet, a festival! I think they would thrive in a festival crowd. If you’ve never checked out this noise pop band in the past, you better start now!