Today brings a mix of fantastic and not so fantastic news about Sleigh Bells, at least from a standpoint of self-interest. On the plus side of the ledger, The New York Times has offered up a chance to stream the new album, Treats, in its entirety a week before its scheduled release alongside a nice profile piece. On the down side, the romantic dreams of indie kids everywhere have been dashed with that piece’s following paragraph:
“Ms. Krauss, who is engaged to Tyler Mate, of the hardcore punk act Wet Witch, was a nominee for a Rhodes scholarship, she said. But — with her family’s blessing — she decided to pursue Sleigh Bells instead. ”
So now we are aware that Ms. Krauss is off the market, on this of all days. Having nothing else to say…Happy Valentines Day to the creative, attractive, and clearly intelligent, Ms. Alexis Krauss (and congratulations to Mr. Mate).
As for the album, it remains recognizable as a Sleigh Bells’ album but also incorporates a second guitar that at times provides the ambiance of bands like The Cranberries (who are helpfully referenced in the article) as well as moments that sound more like Van Halen. So, a healthy helping of both 198os and 1990s rock are served up by Sleigh Bells’ sophomore release. You could even say it’s a treat.
