Sleigh Bells - Treats (N.E.E.T.)

"Treats," is the debut album from male/female duo (and M.I.A. employees) "Sleigh Bells." The duo brandish their take on danceable guitar-rock over beats guaranteed to crack your iPod headphones. Ex-Poison the Well guitarist, "Derek E. Miller" at the helm as guitarist and producer with Alexis Krauss on vocals. The screaming guitar riffs borderline "metal" at times, but over the slightly distorted drum machine and Alxesis's soft croons, it actually works..well. There has been so much hype about this band, and I actually classified them as a guitar heavy and somewhat catchier version of the M.I.A.'s last record, "Kala." I guess it is no surprise they were signed to her label with such similarities.

Most of the tracks are in the 2 minute to 3 minute range, and tend to get a little monotonous, from the juxtaposed rhythms of "Crown on the Ground," and "Riot Rhythm," that anything longer could get REAL annoying. With that said, there are some beautiful moments on here. Take, the wordless chants of "Run the Heart," which really makes you feel like the aliens are hovering down for your soul, so let them take it. "Rill Rill," another standout track, and more structured than most on the album, is very catchy and poppy and I'd like to hear some more tunes in this direction than the latter.

So, do I think "Treats" deserves the hype? Well, the album on a whole has its moments, and I've read they perform with just a guitar and an iPod, which is interestingly and lo-fi enough that I'm sure it does the trick. I'd be curious to see what kind of an album they come up with next before I make my decision.

The Score: 7 out of 10 bells
The Math: a catchier M.I.A. + plus softer vocals + distorted drums x screaming  guitar riffs = Treats