#16: The Kills - Midnight Boom (2008)

1. U.R.A. Fever
2. Cheap And Cheerful
3. Tape Song
4. Getting Down
5. Last Day Of Magic
6. Hook And Line
7. Black Balloon
8. M.E.X.I.C.O.C.U.
9. Sour Cherry
10. Alphabet Pony
11. What New York Used To Be
12. Goodnight Bad Morning

It was with some reticence that I approached The Kills' third album, for reasons that were entirely non-musical (I won't bother going into them, you can probably work it out if you know me). I did eventually buy the album a few weeks after its release, but it still took a while before I actually got round to writing this review. So here it is.

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Long before the tabloid press cared to know the names of Jamie 'Hotel' Vince and Alison 'VV' Mosshart, The Kills set out their stall as a sexually-charged, DIY garage-rock twosome back in 2003 with Keep On Your Mean Side. Thankfully, Midnight Boom doesn't see them stray too far from their roots: But don't worry, they're certainly not stagnating either.

The album starts strongly with an arresting pair of songs that served well as the record's first two singles. 'U.R.A. Fever' sounds like a shady phonebox conversation spoken entirely in riddles before giving way to a convulsing, seductive chorus hook and searing stabs of guitar. The equally punchy 'Cheap And Cheerful' revels in its own minimalism, its biggest extravagances being the occasional military drumroll and the handclaps that punctuate Mosshart's lyrics as the guitar fuzzes along in the background.

While the lyrics of the first two songs are frivolously nonsensical, yet still oddly seductive, the band do also show some more coherent themes. On 'Tape Song', Mosshart turns matter-of-fact agony aunt: First she advises against the 'fix it with duct tape' strategy for a broken heart ("Tape ain't gonna fix it honey, it ain't gonna stick.") before dropping the bombshell that "Time ain't gonna cure you honey, time don't give a shit." Her only advice seems somehow cryptic despite its apparent simplicity: "You've got to go straight ahead." 'Black Balloon' continues this theme with more cold-hearted advice for a former lover: "You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time," Mossheart deadpans, and there's barely even the slightest hint of sadness as she casts her lover aside with a sigh of "let the weather have its way with you."

The band aren't always the ones dishing out broken hearts to other people though. 'Last Day Of Magic' should surely go down as one of The Kills' best songs to date, with its discordant (yet still oddly tuneful) opening riff giving way to jagged, staccato bursts of guitar, while the dual vocals of Hince and Mosshart breathe a sense of upbeat melancholy into the song: "Last day of magic: Where are you?" they lament to one another as the guitars switch to an understated drive. It's a stripped-down garage rock take on the perfect summer pop song, and it sounds superb.

Elsewhere, 'Getting Down' sounds like LCD Soundsystem stripped bare and making suggestive eyes across the room, while on 'Hook And Line' Mosshart does her best PJ Harvey impression as Hince summons up a squall of guitar that also recalls PJ's rockier moments. 'M.E.X.I.C.O.C.U' pins a hastily scrawled 'see you later' note to a ramshackle take on the riff from Joy Division's 'No Love Lost' to create an effortless sub-two minute thrill ride, and 'Sour Cherry' follows this up with another engaging proposition, falling somewhere between the handclap-laden minimalism of 'Cheap And Cheerful' and the pop sensibilities of 'Last Day Of Magic'.

'Alphabet Pony' contrasts a menacing guitar line with some of the most bizarre lyrics on the album ("Pink plastic Jesus on the dashboard," anyone?), and 'What New York Used To Be' continues the sense of menace as Mosshart nonchalantly reels off a list of "What [x] used to be" like she's casually discarding stale memories.

The album ends on a comedown note, with 'Goodnight Bad Morning' sounding a little bit like The Velvet Underground's 'Sunday Morning' updated for the 21st century: Speed instead of Heroin, hazy but oddly tender declarations of love ("I love you so much, never forget") replacing paranoia. It's an uncharacteristically pretty way to end the album, but it works rather well as a contrast to the intensity displayed elsewhere.

Overall, Midnight Boom can be considered a success on the band's own terms: They stick firmly to their DIY guns and there's still evidence of that dangerously sexy vibe on display. While the record doesn't quite manage to replicate the dirty thrills of the opening two tracks or the ramshackle brilliance of 'Last Day Of Magic', there's still enough going on to keep the album moving. Even when it threatens to tail off towards the end, 'Goodnight Bad Morning' comes along just in time to wrap things up nicely. It's not going to convince the band's detractors and will probably leave vapid, name-dropping red-top/Heat readers scratching their heads, but for everyone else, this is a convincing return for The Kills and a fine addition to their back catalogue.