Blood Pressures
Encyclopedia
Blood Pressures is the fourth studio album
by indie rock
band The Kills
. It was released on April 1, 2011 in the Republic of Ireland
, Germany
, Nordic Countries
and Austria
, in the UK on April 4, 2011, and in the United States on April 5, 2011.
The album was recorded at Key Club studio in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the same studio where the band had previously recorded both No Wow
and Midnight Boom
.
The first single 'Satellite' was released on iTunes
on 31 January 2011 and its video debuted on YouTube
on 9 February. The song 'DNA' is currently available from their website as a free download if you sign up to the bands mailing list. The album is currently being streamed on their website for free.
, while the Midnight Boom
album found the duo "moving away from their Suicide
/Velvet roots" with hip hop beats and more considered approach, the fourth album "brings another change of gear", driven mostly by Mosshart’s recent stint in The Dead Weather
. Slant Magazine
described the Kills's fourth album as "another mostly successful attempt to wrench effective material from a barebones method of hollow attitude and instrumental minimalism". Masters of "a high-wire act" involving "a small bag of tricks shaken up a little differently each time", the Kills "write songs that are invariably concave structures, spacious echo chambers for lurching, fuzzed-out guitar and softly staccato talk-singing", keeping "drawing blood from this stone, readjusting and tweaking their formula", the reviewer expands. According to Jesse Cataldo, -
, which collates reviews of contemporary music albums, the album received an average score of 7.2 (based on 34 professional reviews) with The Skinny
reviewer Era Trieman describing it as "a leathery femme fatale massacre" and The Kills' "most ambitious and accomplished undertaking to date". Simon Harper of The Clash magazine
, describing the album as "dirty, loud and intimidatingly sexy", argues that its the result of a year spent apart: "Hince's adventures in sound provide the album's thick production, while Mosshart's stint as Dead Weather frontwoman instils further confidence and swagger in her provocative lyrics".
Rob Fearn of the Q magazine, speaking of "clear signs of progress" in the quality of the band’s songwriting and calling the album's first single "Satellite" "an indie anthem in the making" still found some other bids for "maturity" less successful, mentioning "Wild Charms" (with Hince taking lead vocals) and Mosshart’s ballad "The Last Goodbye" among less convincing tracks.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band The Kills
The Kills
The Kills is a rock band formed by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince . Their first three albums, Keep On Your Mean Side, No Wow, and Midnight Boom, have garnered much critical praise...
. It was released on April 1, 2011 in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Nordic Countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, in the UK on April 4, 2011, and in the United States on April 5, 2011.
The album was recorded at Key Club studio in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the same studio where the band had previously recorded both No Wow
No Wow
No Wow is the second studio album by indie rock band The Kills. It was released February 21, 2005, on Domino Records. No Wow showcases definite blues and post-punk influences....
and Midnight Boom
Midnight Boom
Midnight Boom is the third album by indie rock band The Kills, released on March 10, 2008, through Domino Records . It was recorded in Benton Harbor, Michigan...
.
The first single 'Satellite' was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on 31 January 2011 and its video debuted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on 9 February. The song 'DNA' is currently available from their website as a free download if you sign up to the bands mailing list. The album is currently being streamed on their website for free.
Musical style
According to Q magazineQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, while the Midnight Boom
Midnight Boom
Midnight Boom is the third album by indie rock band The Kills, released on March 10, 2008, through Domino Records . It was recorded in Benton Harbor, Michigan...
album found the duo "moving away from their Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
/Velvet roots" with hip hop beats and more considered approach, the fourth album "brings another change of gear", driven mostly by Mosshart’s recent stint in The Dead Weather
The Dead Weather
The Dead Weather is an American alternative rock supergroup, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Composed of Alison Mosshart , Jack White , Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence , The Dead Weather debuted at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville...
. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
described the Kills's fourth album as "another mostly successful attempt to wrench effective material from a barebones method of hollow attitude and instrumental minimalism". Masters of "a high-wire act" involving "a small bag of tricks shaken up a little differently each time", the Kills "write songs that are invariably concave structures, spacious echo chambers for lurching, fuzzed-out guitar and softly staccato talk-singing", keeping "drawing blood from this stone, readjusting and tweaking their formula", the reviewer expands. According to Jesse Cataldo, -
Critical reception
Blood Pressures received generally positive reviews upon its release. At AnyDecentMusic?AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates reviews of contemporary music albums, covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots and urban...
, which collates reviews of contemporary music albums, the album received an average score of 7.2 (based on 34 professional reviews) with The Skinny
The Skinny
The Skinny is the debut album by Slimm Cutta Calhoun.-Track listing:...
reviewer Era Trieman describing it as "a leathery femme fatale massacre" and The Kills' "most ambitious and accomplished undertaking to date". Simon Harper of The Clash magazine
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
, describing the album as "dirty, loud and intimidatingly sexy", argues that its the result of a year spent apart: "Hince's adventures in sound provide the album's thick production, while Mosshart's stint as Dead Weather frontwoman instils further confidence and swagger in her provocative lyrics".
Rob Fearn of the Q magazine, speaking of "clear signs of progress" in the quality of the band’s songwriting and calling the album's first single "Satellite" "an indie anthem in the making" still found some other bids for "maturity" less successful, mentioning "Wild Charms" (with Hince taking lead vocals) and Mosshart’s ballad "The Last Goodbye" among less convincing tracks.
Track listing
Chart performance
| Charts (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
43 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
37 |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
8 |
| Germany | 33 |
| US Billboard Hot 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
37 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
40 |
Personnel
- Alison MosshartAlison MosshartAlison Nicole Mosshart is an American singer, songwriter and occasional model best known as the lead vocalist for the indie rock band The Kills and blues rock band The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000...
- Vocals, Guitar - Jamie Hince - Guitar, Vocals, Mellotron, Drums, Percussion, Producer
- Bill Skibbe - Producer, Engineer
- Jessica Ruffins - Engineer