The Kills are back with Blood Pressures, a delightful romp into gritty, straightforward rock with a twist of blues. I was slow to discover that I liked the Kills--it was through Dead Weather that I realized that Alison Mosshart is a true bad ass. Any woman who cackled on a song, saying, "I'm Mad!!" is alright with me. In turn, I gave the Kills a thoughtful, open listen and decided, hey, this is worthy of my time!
On Blood Pressures, Alison sounds more seasoned and confident in her vocals, probably a result from recording with the Dead Weather for two albums and honing her inner Ann Wilson rock goddess fortitude. These songs, and most of Blood Pressures, have the dead-cool attitude the Kills have always displayed, but the vulnerability they allow to peek through might be the album's biggest development. That openness is also the fuel for the brightest highlights, which span the seismic shifts between love and desperation that power “Future Starts Slow”'s massive drums and guitars and “Nail in My Coffin”'s tumbling choruses, or the classic-sounding balladry of “The Last Goodbye,” where Mosshart lets her inner Patsy Cline out to croon. Blood Pressures is a darker, slower ride than Midnight Boom, but it shows the Kills can make subtle innovations as well as bold ones, and make them fit their signature sound to boot.
Take a listen to Nail In My Coffin here.
Get your own copy of the Kills' Blood Pressures here.
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