Bunky Becky Birthday Boy

Sleigh Bells music is so volatile that they seemed more likely to have a great single or two tucked away on nostalgic playlists than to have a nearly 20-year career and six albums to their name. On Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, however, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss offer some of their most consistent and consistently affecting music. The duos signature elements -- face-melting riffs and double drums, pop-star vocals, and gravity-defying synths -- havent changed much, yet they sound fresher than they have in some time, particularly on "Wanna Start a Band?," a stomping, slamming homage to their origin story that taps into the rush of their early days. Sleigh Bells entwine mischief and meaning deftly on Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, starting with that title: what looks like gibberish is actually a tribute to Krauss dearly departed dog and her young son. She and Miller touch on the moments in life that raise the stakes in ways that feel completely true to their body of work. "Bunky Pop" is as irrepressibly bouncy as a puppy, but Krauss doesnt hide the tears shes shed over "the best dog in the world." The barely controlled chaos that defines Sleigh Bells music is also the perfect fit for feelings that go deep into the red. Miller and Krauss are equally ecstatic and frantic on the apocalyptic party jam "Badly" and "This Summer," seizing each moment like its the last -- because it could be. Though its nearly as dizzying as Sleigh Bells previous albums, Bunky Becky Birthday Boy grounds their music just enough to let its emotions sink in. Theyve never been as confessional as they are on "Blasted Shadow"s sugarcoated heartache or "Pulse Drips Quiet," where Krauss devotion rings true ("You can count on me/Ill be true til death") despite the sonic shock and awe surrounding her. The way she and Miller bare their souls on Bunky Becky Birthday Boy might be even more audacious than the way Sleigh Bells have sliced, diced, and spliced their songs into explosive collages for nearly 20 years. By giving equal time to headbanging and heartbreak, theyve made an immensely satisfying album thats among their finest. ~ Heather Phares

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