Treats (album)

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Treats
Studio album by
Sleigh Bells
ReleasedMay 24, 2010 (2010-05-24)
StudioTreefort Studios
(Brooklyn, New York City)
Genre
Length32:06
Label
ProducerDerek Miller
Sleigh Bells chronology
Sleigh Bells (EP)
(2009) 		Treats
(2010) 		Reign of Terror
(2012)
Singles from Treats
  1. "Tell 'Em"
    Released: April 28, 2010
  2. "Infinity Guitars"
    Released: November 14, 2010
  3. "Riot Rhythm"
    Released: February 14, 2011

Treats is the debut studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells, consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and producer/guitarist Derek Miller. It was released on May 24, 2010 by Mom+Pop and N.E.E.T. Recordings. The release was preceded by the April single "Tell 'Em" and featured the group's most popular track, the Funkadelic-sampling "Rill Rill".[8]

The album won the group critical acclaim.[9] It drew attention for its loudly distorted sound and hybrid of genre elements,[10] including pop hooks, the guitar riffs of punk and metal, and beats from hip hop and electro.[1] It was named among the 10 best albums of the year by Slant, Paste, and Entertainment Weekly.

Background[edit]

The two members of Sleigh Bells—Derek Miller (production/guitar) and Alexis Krauss (vocals)—both had previous experience performing and touring in a musical ensemble.[11] From age 17 to 22, Miller was a guitarist in the metalcore band Poison the Well.[12] Krauss meanwhile has a background in theater and television,[13] and from age 12 to 16 she performed in the teen pop group RubyBlue.[11] In March 2008, Miller moved to New York City expressly to find a female vocalist for some song demos he was working on, and after meeting Krauss the two began collaborating.[11]

Miller's rough demos gained the attention of M.I.A. and Spike Jonze. Miller stated that the ensuing positive feedback and his "dream collaboration" working with M.I.A. in her studio on the album Maya (2010) gave him the confidence to do the Treats record without opting for a co-producer.[14] Miller worked with M.I.A. on the track "Meds and Feds" in 2009, following which she signed the group to her label N.E.E.T. Recordings.[15] Krauss said of M.I.A.: "It's really exciting to have her in our court and be able to work with her [...] It's the fact that she had interest in us literally before anyone else cared at all which definitely boosted our confidence."[15]

Recording[edit]

Miller ascribed the album's distorted, overdriven sound to the fact that "everything was pushed into the red."[6] Krauss spoke of her enjoyment at the collaborative nature of the album making process with Miller, telling Drowned in Sound, "When we got into the studio we began collaborating more. There's a few tracks on the album—'Tell Em', 'Riot Rhythms', 'Tell the Heart' [sic]—which definitely became more collaborative in terms of me doing more work on melodies, harmonies and we plan on further explorations of this in the future."[15] The album was recorded at Treefort Studios in Brooklyn.[16]

Release[edit]

The lead single from Treats, "Tell 'Em", was released as a free download on April 28, 2010, via the duo's official website.[17] "Infinity Guitars" was released on November 14, 2010, as the second single from the album.[18] Rolling Stone placed the track at number 21 on their list of the 50 Best Songs of 2010.[19] The music video for "Infinity Guitars" premiered on NME's website on September 19, 2010.[20] "Riot Rhythm" was released on February 14, 2011, as the album's third and final single.[21]

The track "Rill Rill" features a sample of Funkadelic's "Can You Get to That" from the 1971 album Maggot Brain.[22] It became the band's best known song and was used in a 2013 iPhone advertisement.[22]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.2/10[23]
Metacritic84/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
The A.V. ClubA−[25]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[26]
The Guardian[27]
Los Angeles Times[28]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)A−[29]
NME8/10[30]
Pitchfork8.7/10[1]
Rolling Stone[31]
Spin8/10[32]

Treats received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84 based on 35 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”.[9]

AllMusic called the album "one of 2010’s most attention-getting debuts," stating that "Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss craft a sound that’s all climax," featuring a "boldness, immediacy, and sense of fun that’s missing from too much other music."[24] Pitchfork writer Mark Richardson stated that "the music's essentials-- jackhammer riffs clipped from punk and metal, mid-tempo beats from hip-hop and electro, and supremely catchy sing-song melodies-- [are] remarkably fresh and unlike anything else right now."[1] Bob Boilen of NPR described the album as a "thrill ride" which is "somehow both an aural assault and a piece of pop candy," noting its "excessively compressed beats and abrupt guitars" along with Krauss's "melodic counterpoint, with a sweetness that can turn fierce."[33] Paste called it "a supremely raw and visceral pop masterwork" and "32-minute sonic rollercoaster that’s totally, gloriously, devoid of subtlety and restraint [...] with mixing cranked so high your speakers sound like they’re about to combust."[10]

Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Dolan described the music as consisting of "neck-snapping hip-hop beats and blasts of gonzo riffage from producer Derek Miller; bratty, bubbly chant-singing from Alexis Krauss; everything air-raid-siren loud," citing it as "noise that's friendly and cute, primitivism that masks pop smarts and respect for tradition".[31] New Musical Express called it "a work that not so much mixes genres as smashes them into one visceral, jaw-dropping hybrid."[30] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly praised its "genre-swerving sound—primitive guitar fuzz, pastiche beats, sugar-buzz vocals" which "bypasses the default snark button and burrows directly into jaded listeners’ punch-drunk pleasure centers."[26] The Los Angeles Times called the music "filthy, audibly painful" but also possibly "the most delirious, joyful and defining album of 2010."[28]

In retrospect, Dan Weiss of Paste stated that the album's "shrieking, granular distortion [...] had that perfect blend of intention and accident, both out of nowhere and sorely needed," in which "all the bluntest aspects of grindcore, crunk rap and chirpy bubblegum audibly fought for space, and still with time for a Funkadelic sample break on the most-celebrated, uncharacteristic "Rill Rill."[8] Alarm Magazine stated that the album established the band as "the new master of noise pop, infusing overblown electro beats and crunchy, gritty guitars into raucous compositions," concluding that "it was an unapologetic exploration of pushing 'pop' music to its threshold and crossing it."[2]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Rank List
Drowned in Sound 40 Albums of the Year 2010[34]
Entertainment Weekly 6 10 Best Albums of 2010[35]
Exclaim! 16 Pop & Rock: Year in Review 2010[36]
NME 40 75 Best Albums of 2010[37]
Paste 6 The 50 Best Albums of 2010[38]
Pitchfork 16 The Top 50 Albums of 2010[39]
PopMatters 11 The 70 Best Albums of 2010[40]
Slant Magazine 4 The 25 Best Albums of 2010[41]
Spin 29 The 40 Best Albums of 2010[42]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Sleigh Bells

No.TitleLength
1."Tell 'Em"2:56
2."Kids"2:46
3."Riot Rhythm"2:37
4."Infinity Guitars"2:32
5."Run the Heart"2:41
6."Rachel"2:19
7."Rill Rill"3:50
8."Crown on the Ground"3:49
9."Straight A's"1:32
10."A/B Machines"3:35
11."Treats"3:29
Notes

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Treats.[43]

Sleigh Bells
  • Derek Miller – instruments, artwork, production
  • Alexis Krauss – vocals
Additional personnel

Charts[edit]

As of 2013 it has sold 180,000 copies in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[52]

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom May 24, 2010 Digital download Mom + Pop [53]
United States June 1, 2010
  • CD
  • digital download
[54][55]
Germany June 4, 2010 Digital download Mom + Pop [56]
Australia June 18, 2010
  • CD
  • digital download
 Liberator [57][58]
United Kingdom June 21, 2010 CD Mom + Pop [59]
Germany June 22, 2010 LP Sony [60]
United Kingdom June 28, 2010 Mom + Pop [61]
Japan October 13, 2010 CD Sony [62]
Germany October 15, 2010 [63]
United States April 26, 2011 LP
  • Mom + Pop
  • N.E.E.T.
 [64]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Richardson, Mark (May 14, 2010). "Sleigh Bells: Treats". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Danaher, Michael (23 February 2012). "Pop Addict: Sleigh Bells' Reign of Terror". Alarm Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  3. ^ Cole, Matthew (27 May 2010). "Review: Sleigh Bells, Treats". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  4. ^ Bennet, Jay. "Music: Sleigh Bells". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  5. ^ Carroll, Jim. "On the Record". Irish Times. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b Suddath, Claire. "Sleigh Bells Turn it Up on Reign of Terror". Time. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  7. ^ Pitchfork Staff (October 8, 2019). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 3, 2023. But echoes of it can be found: PC Music took the art-pop roots and a few of the sounds...
  8. ^ a b Weiss, Dan (February 21, 2012). "Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror". Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "Reviews for Treats by Sleigh Bells". Metacritic. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  10. ^ a b Saba, Michael (May 11, 2010). "Sleigh Bells: Treats". Paste. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c Ryzik, Melena (February 14, 2012). "Enjoying the Sweet Pains of Success". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  12. ^ Marchese, David (March–April 2012). "Bringin' on the Heartbreak". Spin. Vol. 28, no. 2. pp. 54–61, 108. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  13. ^ Dombal, Ryan (July 12, 2010). "Interviews: Sleigh Bells". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  14. ^ Lindsay, Cam (June 7, 2010). "Sleigh Bells Talk Spike Jonze, M.I.A. and Being Years Ahead of Their Dreams". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  15. ^ a b c Barrett, Brad (September 1, 2010). "DiS Meets Sleigh Bells". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  16. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (September 12, 2013). "Inside Sleigh Bells' Lean, Mean New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  17. ^ Zimmerman, Edith (April 28, 2010). "Download a Free New Sleigh Bells Track, 'Tell 'Em'". Vulture. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  18. ^ "Infinity Guitars: Sleigh Bells: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  19. ^ "50 Best Songs of 2010". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. December 14, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  20. ^ "Sleigh Bells – 'Infinity Guitars' Video Exclusive". NME. September 19, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  21. ^ "Riot Rhythm: Sleigh Bells: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  22. ^ a b "Copped and Screwed: Do Sleigh Bells Have a Case Against Demi Lovato? A Copyright Expert Explains". Vulture. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Treats by Sleigh Bells reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
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  25. ^ Cole, Matthew (June 1, 2010). "Sleigh Bells: Treats". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (May 28, 2010). "Treats". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1104. p. 70. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  27. ^ Cragg, Michael (August 5, 2010). "Sleigh Bells: Treats". The Guardian. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  28. ^ a b Brown, August (May 25, 2010). "Album review: Sleigh Bells' 'Treats'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  29. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 21, 2010). "Care Bears on Fire/Sleigh Bells". MSN Music. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  30. ^ a b Wright, Lisa (July 11, 2010). "Album review: Sleigh Bells – 'Treats' (Mom + Pop Music/NEET)". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  33. ^ Boilen, Bob (10 May 2010). "First Listen: Sleigh Bells, 'Treats'". NPR. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  34. ^ Adams, Sean (December 2, 2010). "Drowned in Sound's albums of the year 2010: 50–11". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  35. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (December 21, 2010). "10 Best Albums of 2010". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  37. ^ "75 best albums of 2010". NME. November 22, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  38. ^ Jackson, Josh (December 1, 2010). "The 50 Best Albums of 2010". Paste. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  40. ^ "The 70 Best Albums of 2010". PopMatters. December 23, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  41. ^ "The 25 Best Albums of 2010". Slant Magazine. December 14, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  42. ^ "The 40 Best Albums of 2010". Spin. December 6, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  43. ^ Treats (CD liner notes). Sleigh Bells. Mom + Pop Music. 2010. MP016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  50. ^ "Sleigh Bells – Chart history: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  52. ^ "Sleigh Bells Achieve Harmony on 'Bitter Rivals'". Billboard.
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  54. ^ "Sleigh Bells: Treats". Amazon. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  56. ^ "Treats: Sleigh Bells: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  58. ^ "Treats by Sleigh Bells". iTunes Store (AU). Apple. 18 June 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  60. ^ "Treats [Vinyl LP]" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  61. ^ "Treats [VINYL] by Sleigh Bells". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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  63. ^ "Treats" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  64. ^ "Sleigh Bells: Treats (Vinyl)". Amazon. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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