My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010
#9 Sleigh Bells - Treats

Admittedly, I was a bit sceptical of this album at first - it seemed little more than a gimmick. I have, however, grown to really love it. The sheer propulsive musical force is something that was lacking in most other music this year, and the whole cheerleader theme is amusingly perverse. Most importantly from my perspective, is that the songs are genuinely memorable. This isn’t just noise for the sake of noise.
It’s certainly not perfect; in particular, I find Alexis Krauss’ voice a bit too thin and twee to truly stand up against the music, even as an ironic juxtaposition. But in the end, I’m happy to celebrate bands that try something different.