On first listen Blood Pressures by The Kills was f*cking my mind, man. Good and proper.
With my somewhat limited knowledge of the Atlantic-spanning band that was doing what the Ting Tings do long before they were and that much better, the solid, sexy, raw rockness of Blood Pressures took me a while to wrap my head around. And just as I thought I understood what was happening, along comes The Last Goodbye, straight from a Chicago blues club. Eish, mara wena. It is sultry, it is classy, it is velvety and delicious.
But no, that was not the last surprise. Straight after that comes Damned If She Do - a track that would have been just as comfortable on 2005's No Wow. Having had a brief love affair with The Good Ones – an enthralling single off that album – this was more along the lines of what I was expecting.
Like any girl that has been thoroughly messed around and left exhausted and confused, I am in love. This time it's for keeps.
The Kills have always been worth a listen, and the rock edge has always been there. It's just that much stronger now than ever before. Their choons are carefully crafted and fit together like Inca brickwork. No gaps here, gazi. Vocalist Alison Mosshart's voice is deep and strong, and is clearly comfortable doing anything. There's a rougher edge to it, a touch of husk, that draws you in. There's something of interest to every song, from a visit to melancholy with Wild Charms, to the aggression of Nail In My Coffin. The album would work just as well accompanying your drive to work as it would during a workout.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be alone with my album.
For more on The Kills visit www.thekills.tv
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