Displaying a pair of white canvas tennis shoes covered in blood… Reign of Terror

Sleigh Bells

Mom+Pop/Sony

Rocks like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Crystal Castles

Grade: B+

Displaying a pair of white canvas tennis shoes covered in blood, the cover of Sleigh Bells’ new album is representative of the group’s continuing mission to drape catchy pop melodies in the curtains of anything noisy and rock.

“True Shred Guitar” opens with the anticipation of a live audience as vocalist Alexis Krauss ramps the crowd up and the instrumentals slam out tasty power chords like candy at a parade. When the song actually starts and Krauss yells, “Push it / push it / true shred guitar,” there’s a sense of wonderful anarchy as her warm vocals hit Miller’s starkly metallic guitar.

“Born to Lose” stacks melodies on top of each other, and the duo’s instruments seem to blend into a single musical whip. “Heard you say suicide in your sleep / just get on with it, you were born to lose” Krauss sings, indicating a certain melancholy present throughout the song.

Backed by mechanical drum machines, the midtempo song revolves around guitars that shift between a distorted, synthesized lead and jangly chords dreamy enough for a Beach Boys song.

The style varies from full-on sonic assaults by Derek Edward Miller’s guitar to more melodic sections dominated by Krauss’ vocals. Sleigh Bells’ greatest victory derives from a synthesis of those two elements.

While most of the tracks sting in a good way, “Comeback Kid” and a few other songs occasionally verge into areas of noisy abstraction that are hard to manuever.

Though it doesn’t contain a song as instantly memorable as “Rill Rill,” Reign of Terror is a strong sophomore release that reminds us that noise can be music too.