In the two years that have passed since the release of The Kills’ acclaimed third album Midnight Boom, it’s fair to say that duo Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince have gained more interest for their adventures outside the band than they have for their full-time job (the frontwoman put a shift in singing for Jack White’s The Dead Weather while the guitarist unwittingly attracted the tabloids due to his relationship with Kate Moss). Still, the pair’s stint in the spotlight seems to have galvanised them into making their band real contenders and their fourth effort Blood Pressures is their strongest-sounding release to date.
Benefitting from an increased experimentation in musical textures and phrasing, the record is still a raw and sexually charged affair, but there are nuances and subtleties threaded through the likes of ‘Heart Is A Beating Drum’ and album opener ‘Future Starts Slow’ that suggests the lo-fi rockers have learned at least a handful of new tricks over the last eight years. Mosshart remains the star of the show though and her coquettish croon on ‘Last Goodbye’ is both tender and twisted as she sings of a lost love.
Opening with a piano that’s slightly reminiscent of Tom Waits’ ‘Innocent When You Dream,’ the song swoons with the best of them. The scuzz-laden new single ‘Satellite’ is another gem that proves The Kills still haven’t lost their knack for writing perve-y pop songs, but pretty much most of this 11-track release is an understated joy to listen to.