Album Of The Week: The Kills’ Ash & Ice

Over time, an established band might go in all sorts of directions musically. They could eventually go off the deep end and completely alienate their fan base, leaving them wishing for a return to the form that made them so great in the first place. Or the act will take chances that add to their brilliance while their contemporaries take the safe route by being consistently good, but formulaic. Then there’s The Kills. Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart started the band with a raw post-punk garage rock sound, progressing with the two styles and incorporating synth and electronics. Now their latest album, Ash & Ice, melds the two styles.

Recorded at a house in Los Angeles and at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the duo bring back that bare bones aesthetic while decreasing the number of electro beats. Hince’s riffs are abundant throughout the whole album, harking back to the dirtiness of The Kills’ beginnings at the turn of the century. Mosshart has that seductive soulful voice of hers on point — it’s as intense as ever and the new album shows that Hince hasn’t fallen behind artistically at all. From start to finish, Ash & Ice will knock you to the floor  — it’s The Kills’ best release in over 10 years.

It’s refreshing when a band ups the ante when it seems that they can’t go any further musically. It’s nice to be proven wrong sometimes and it’s definitely true with Ash & Ice. For further examination, lets dive into the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week:

A nasty and bluesy ballad, “Hum For Your Buzz” has Mosshart crooning her heart out and exuding pure fury. “Bitter Fruit” has Hince joining Mosshart on vocals; when they split time on the mic, it makes their sound so different. The beat anchors the track and glues everything else together for a catchy number. A good example of the fusion of the raw riffs and the polished beats is the lead single “Doing It To Death.” Hince’s first note on guitar will stick in the listener’s head while Mosshart nails it in the chorus.

The Kills’ next show will be at the Isle Of Wight Festival in Seaclose Park in the United Kingdom on June 9 as part of the first European leg of their year-long tour. For us New Englanders, Hince and Mosshart will be back in the area at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, on September 20. Until they come through your town and tear apart your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of The Kills’ Ash & Ice. It’s their first release in five years and it’s definitely worth the wait.

Watch the music video for “Doing It To Death” on Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=498zUzNGQxY; The Kills’ Website: thekills.tv