The duo returns with an explosive piece of hyperpop.
There’s no one out there who sounds like Sleigh Bells. The band brings together the aggressive, overdriven guitar of Derek Edward Miller with the addictive, earworm pop vocals of singer Alexis Krauss to create something wholly unique and wholly electrifying. After taking a five-year break since their last full-length album, the duo is back this year with Texis, which looks to continue their propulsive vibe just as strongly as past work.
Everything great about Sleigh Bells, you can hear in their new single, “Justine Go Genesis.” The song blitzes forward with whirring percussion, intensely bright synths and a cool, blowout guitar riff. For the chorus, the metal aspects fall back to let Krauss’ vocal take center stage, the (relatively) calm eye of the storm. Every time Sleigh Bells release a new song, it’s easy to wonder if this will be where this grand experiment falls apart, where the mix of styles clash instead of coexist. But the two of them just keep moving forward with incredible, energetic, catchy tunes that hit like a shot of adrenaline to the heart.
Texis is out on Sept. 10 via Mom+Pop Records.