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Four albums in for the other deliciously-frayed, minimal garage rock two-piece comprising one man and one woman, and guess what? It’s a Steve Reich covers album interpreted entirely on piccolo and flugelhorn.
Fans of The Kills will have spotted the mendacity of the previous sentence and probably (rightly) guessed that Blood Pressures is another solid album of fundamentalist, primal noise. Throughout Jamie Hince plays his guitar like a framed prisoner scratching his last angry wishes on a cell wall, while Alison Mosshart sings with the conviction and menace of a lying politician.
Where sorely-missed Detroit heroes The White Stripes had rabid but often bluesy moments in their cheap, thrilling canon, The Kills have always been dark and vicious, snarling punks with drum machines and lit cigarettes flicked into your hair. At its best, material on this album matches the seductive, shop-soiled greasiness of early tracks like Fried My Little Brains, from 2003. Future Starts Slow is marvellous. "You can holler, you can wail / You can swing, you can flail," Hince and Mosshart tell us, like they don’t care if they receive the ransom money or not. Satellite, the single spat out online pre-release, offers evidence of Mosshart’s stint in The Dead Weather. When she sings the central refrain, "Operator, operator, dial me back / Operator, put me through," it’s easy to imagine Jack White nodding in approval while an ace, syncopated Hince riff grinds away.
There are surprises on Blood Pressures. The Last Goodbye has the whimsy, reluctance and nostalgia of Sparklehorse circa It’s a Wonderful Life, while album closer Pots and Pans could be a lost Beck track from the One Foot in the Grave days, if the man had been possessed by Tom Waits before recording. It’s this final song which poses the most interesting question on this great, but at times predictable album: what terrific noise could The Kills make on an acoustic album?
--Lou Thomas
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Adele Dylan
Format:MP3 Download
The mixed reviews this album's got kind of put me off a bit to begin with but now I've bought it I'm glad I did. It's not quite up to the level of Midnight Boom but the stand out tracks are so good they would fit on that album easy. Nail in My Coffin thumps it out something fearsome and Baby Says has been in my head for days. The opening bars of Damned If She Do are pure Exile era Stones - I don't have a higher compliment available than that.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By nin/ja77
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Kills return with their fourth album "Blood Pressures" which is the follow up to 2008's "Midnight Boom". So whats happened in the three years since "Midnight Boom"? Well Alison Mosshart spent the last couple of years singing and touring with The Dead Weather(jack white) and Jamie Hince has spent most of his time with Fiancée supermodel Kate Moss! There was even some doubt a while back if we would get another Kills record as Alison seemed happy enough to continue with The Dead Weather(not that the dead weather have broken up), but thankfully we have got another record as "Blood Pressures" features some of The Kills best work to date!
Where as last record "Midnight Boom" saw The Kills adopt a much more pop friendly sound than its two predecessors "Keep You On The Mean Side" and "No Wow", "Blood Pressures" is a lot darker, dirtier and heavier! That was evident when we first got to hear new single "Satellite" which is one of the heaviest tracks The Kills have ever done, the guitars are gritty, the chorus is big and bluesy. It was now clear that Alison's time in The Dead Weather is probably responsible for this new sound. The Kills set their intentions early on the album with opener "Future Starts Slow" which has a big drum sound(it starts out like the yeah yeah yeahs track "Mystery Girl" just heavier) and a shared vocal between Mosshart and Hince, It does not sound like a track done by two people and a drum machine, Hince's guitar playing sounds great also.
Track three "Heart Is A Beating drum" is one of the stand out tracks on the album that has a great blues riff and features a ping pong sound in the background that is also heard in "Nail In My Coffin" which is a song that wouldn't have been out of place on "Midnight Boom" and features loads of "oh oh oh oh oh's".... Read more ›
Where as last record "Midnight Boom" saw The Kills adopt a much more pop friendly sound than its two predecessors "Keep You On The Mean Side" and "No Wow", "Blood Pressures" is a lot darker, dirtier and heavier! That was evident when we first got to hear new single "Satellite" which is one of the heaviest tracks The Kills have ever done, the guitars are gritty, the chorus is big and bluesy. It was now clear that Alison's time in The Dead Weather is probably responsible for this new sound. The Kills set their intentions early on the album with opener "Future Starts Slow" which has a big drum sound(it starts out like the yeah yeah yeahs track "Mystery Girl" just heavier) and a shared vocal between Mosshart and Hince, It does not sound like a track done by two people and a drum machine, Hince's guitar playing sounds great also.
Track three "Heart Is A Beating drum" is one of the stand out tracks on the album that has a great blues riff and features a ping pong sound in the background that is also heard in "Nail In My Coffin" which is a song that wouldn't have been out of place on "Midnight Boom" and features loads of "oh oh oh oh oh's".... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J E Woodbine
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Saw The Kills in November last year and the c.d is perfect as heard most of the tracks. A well played c.d.
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not as strong as Midnight Boom or No Wow but still plenty to keep you listening, especially 'Future starts slow' and 'You don't own the road'.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By PJ Sturdee
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not sure I'll get another Kills album after this one, they're all starting to sound a bit samey. Might be me getting old though...
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have enjoyed The Kills since I first heard them two years ago, since which time I have purchased their back catalogue. Having said that, I was astounded by this, their album, not because it is as good as I would have expected it to be, but because it is so very much better than I could have hoped. It is a more complete and compelling opus than its predecessors; not one single track is anything less than beautifully crafted treasure to behold.
Specific songs stick in my mind: The Heart Is A Beating Drum and The Last Goodbye; vocally more interesting and capable than so many of their peers, this album is The Kills at their very best; it's stylish, intense, vital and dynamic - and it shows that The Kills have a talent that isn't stuck in a groove but lends itself, very capably, to different styles and musical influences.
I loved this album and, so far, it is one of my favourite albums of 2011.
Specific songs stick in my mind: The Heart Is A Beating Drum and The Last Goodbye; vocally more interesting and capable than so many of their peers, this album is The Kills at their very best; it's stylish, intense, vital and dynamic - and it shows that The Kills have a talent that isn't stuck in a groove but lends itself, very capably, to different styles and musical influences.
I loved this album and, so far, it is one of my favourite albums of 2011.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By OsloCelt72
Format:Audio CD
Really fallen in love with 'Blood Pressures', their 4th album. Took a few listens to appreciate it, and now is one of the most played CD's in my library.
Favourite tracks are:
Future Starts Slow
DNA
Baby Says
and The Last Goodbye
Appreciate this album so much more than their first 'No Wow'.
Recommended. Can't wait to see them next month in Amsterdam.
Favourite tracks are:
Future Starts Slow
DNA
Baby Says
and The Last Goodbye
Appreciate this album so much more than their first 'No Wow'.
Recommended. Can't wait to see them next month in Amsterdam.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By SMcQ
Format:Audio CD
Alison Mosshart returns to the day job alongside Jamie Hince as The Kills reconvene once more. It's all here, Hince's raggedy guitar-playing mixed with invention and classicism that channels Keef. Mosshart's voice and stagecraft sharpened by a two-album stint fronting the Dead Weather. A tour de force then. Most definitely.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The kills Blood Pressures
This is another good album from this fantastic group. I strongly recomend if you like rock and nicely done music.
Published 10 months ago by Sara Ferreira
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mega hit album !
I think this is one of the best albums of music in recent years. My favorite album of The Kills. Fantastic record !
That's all.
That's all.
Published 10 months ago by Dmitry Markov
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great
The product was in really good state when I received it and this album is still awesome! Got the product on time as well.
Published 12 months ago by Bulie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
This is without a doubt one of my favourite albums. Simple but effective and full of top tunes. Punky, arty rock-n-roll. It's so good I'm lost for words.
Published 15 months ago by Mr T
2.0 out of 5 stars
New album from the meh meh mehs.
I heard DNA somewhere and it prompted my to get and listen to this album. Sadly it didn't live up to expectations. It is hugely repetitive and an exercise in style over substance. Read more
Published 16 months ago by G. Flecknell
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not what i had hoped for
The Kills are one of those bands that i have liked since their first album and have enjoyed their progression over time. Read more
Published on 26 April 2011 by Souldier
3.0 out of 5 stars
Has it's moments but...
The Kills have recorded some great garage rock/punk songs, unfortunantly not many on this record. Still full of some wonderful wailing guitar, and Alison Mosshart's vocals are as... Read more
Published on 20 April 2011 by SJ
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