POP/ROCK: Sleigh Bells, "Reign of Terror" (Mom + Pop)
Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells has a lot of nerve, and on "Reign of Terror" that nerve manifests itself as noisy, brash volume. Vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist-producer Derek E. Miller, whose debut, "Treats," was one of the most acclaimed records of 2010, have doubled down on big guitar chords, humongous beats and an overall maximalism that suggests some weird collision of arena rock, dance music, 1960s pop and the kind of borderless big-beat electronic music erupting from all corners of the world.
It's an infectious recipe, with Krauss' wisp of a voice serving as the soft and pretty foil to Miller's aggressive tendencies. Miller's background is as metal-core guitarist but on "Reign of Terror," he arrives at his destinations from any number of angles. "Road to Hell," for example, merges the hammering hard-beat techno sounds of early Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM with, oddly, a guitar tone that sounds time-traveled from an '80s hair metal band, and Krauss sweetly repeating the title like a mantra.
But bombast doesn't always solve the problem, and where "Reign of Terror" falters is in its reliance on shock and awe at every turn; few are the tunes that head in surprising mid-song detours or guide us toward unexpected bridges -- basically, anything that isn't laid out more or less in the opening 32 bars of a song. "Comeback Kid" softens, but then the hammering begins anew, as if to loosen the reins even for a little bit is to suggest some sort of submission. Nuance and volume are tough to pull off together, and though "Reign of Terror" at times sacrifices the former for the latter, it's nevertheless an often thrilling experience. --RANDALL ROBERTS, LOS ANGELES TIMES
POP/ROCK: Sinéad O'Connor, "How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?" (One Little Indian)
In the title query of the Irish singer-songwriter's latest album, the "I" in question could be a variety of different people. Is it the fire-breathing, indignant wailer of her galvanizing 1987 debut, "The Lion and the Cobra"? The reverent reggae disciple of 2005's "Throw Down Your Arms"? The sultry torch singer of 1992's "Am I Not Your Girl?" It is all those things and more. O'Connor is having another turbulent go of it at the moment as a public figure, but as a musician, "How About" is a stunning rebirth of engagement.
Produced by longtime collaborator John Reynolds, O'Connor sounds more alive and confident than she has in a long time. The album includes joyous love songs, keening acoustic numbers, and hymn-like ballads. Its twin peaks come in the form of acrid-to-comic-to-poignant cover of John Grant's "Queen of Denmark" -- a song perfectly matched to a singer -- and the slow burn to a scorching bonfire of "Take Off Your Shoes." A couple of pleasant but less memorable midtempo numbers are saved by O'Connor's still towering voice, one that conjures rage, humor, grief, joy and unbridled passion in a way that still grips the heart and amazes the ears. --SARAH RODMAN, BOSTON GLOBE
