The Kills ‘Blood Pressures’ // First Listen

The Kills
‘Blood Pressures’
(Domino)

It’s been two years since Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince released their critically-acclaimed third album ‘Midnight Boom’. In between Mosshart’s frontwomaning for The Dead Weather and Hince’s boyfriending for Kate Moss, The Kills have created a new LP packed with full, raw and distorted splendor. ‘Blood Pressures’, set for release on 4th April, finds the duo with their swagger and sass intact, penning songs about heartbreak, roads and kitchen utensils. Rosie Skinner takes us through their new release…

‘Future Starts Slow’
Opening track ‘Future Starts Slow’ kicks off with some pulse-racing velocity. Tumbling bass drums and shuddering symbols build a foreboding tension until a synthesiser and screeching distorted guitars interrupt and rapidly change the momentum. Alison Mosshart’s domineering wail carries the track forward, while Jamie Hince’s subdued bass and vocals underpin the melody as a sharp three cord strike on the guitar lingers behind them.  

‘Satellite’
Scattering, electronic fuzz introduces the second song before a sharp blast of scuzzy guitar breaks through and the track turns into a rhythm-fuelled romp with an almost reggae pace. The cathartic harmonies of the chorus overwhelm ‘Satellite’, ”Operator operator dial her back/Operator put me through/Satellite gave up the ghost,” sing the duo as the track comes to a ghostly end.

‘Heart Is A Beating Drum’
‘Heart Is a Beating Drum’ opens with sporadic drums and jolting, distorted guitars. Off-beat hand claps support an erratic riff as the duo snarl, “The heart is a beating drum/It takes more then you wanted before/To keep it on”. Guitars waver and the song’s off-kilter beat pulsates the song to an end.

‘Nail In My Coffin’
Striking, distorted guitars and a rampant beat opens the fourth track as the album takes an anxiety-laden turn. As Mosshart starts to sing, the sinister beat continues to pound. When the chorus “Quit being a nail in my coffin/I don’t need another one” stabs, the tempo gets faster and has the potential of being an anthem; the constant momentum forcing you to bop your head along.

‘Wild Charms’
The short and sweet ‘Wild Charms’ sees Jamie Hince take the spotlight. Lasting only 1:23, the track is a subdued midway point for such a raw album. The calm melodic tale is minimal and beautifully executed, with the slight shuddering of drums and jangling piano making for an ethereal moment.

‘DNA’
As ‘DNA’ begins, the heavy distorted guitars and the rumble of the drums set the sombre tone, before Mosshart’s voice sets an even darker undertone. “We, will not be moved by it” she insists, in an almost demonic chant. The bass wobbles as the lead guitar loops the riff and a sense of angry empowerment is evoked and as the track comes to an end and lingers disconcertingly.

‘Baby Says’
The seventh track opens with a resonant guitar riff, as a drum is lightly pattered. ‘Baby Says’ again encapsulates the duo’s bleak knack for a melody, but there’s a certain sweetness to the song, juxtaposed against the harsh elements of the guitar distortion. This bittersweet song is dark and down tempo with a minimalistic feel.

‘Last Goodbye’
‘Last Goodbye’ opens with an electric piano as Alison Mosshart daintily croons. She swoons over a lost romance, and as faint strings begin she sings, “I won’t forget I swear/I have no regrets for the past is behind me/Tomorrow reminds me just where”. The gloomy love song shows a softer and more vulnerable nature to Mosshart’s voice.
 
‘Damned If She Do’
The gritty and raw ‘Damned If She Do’ begins with a grainy guitar and a tap on the snare drum, reminiscent of The Kinks ‘You Really Got Me’. As the duo begin to sing the beat underpins a gritty melody and, as the chorus erupts, the momentum changes with the lines, ”She come alive when she dying/She come alive when she on her last legs”. 

‘You Don’t Own The Road’
The tenth track is an almost funky, rhythm-fuelled, track. The duo use their signature distorted guitars to scratch and screech throughout. The beat tumbles behind as they sing, “Yeah, steal it back from me love/Back from me love/Oh yeah” with callous attitude amounting to a sudden end.

‘Pots And Pans’
The final track opens with a monotonous beat on the bass drum. An acoustic guitar begins, suggesting that the outro might be softer than the rest of the album. “Can’t find enough pots and pans/Let alone knives in my kitchen/To keep you cooking” the duo sing as the acoustic guitar lingers behind. The clanging electric guitar begins as the track transcends to a triumphant end as they sing to fade, “These are the days that we’ll never forget”.

‘Blood Pressures’ will be reviewed in April’s issue of The Fly.