This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Still in mourning for the scuzzy, narcoleptic blooz-rawk of the late, great duo Royal Trux? Well, cheer up. The Kills are here to resurrect it — or at least take up where it left off.
American singer Alison “VV” Mosshart and English guitarist Jamie “Hotel” Hince took their first steps toward greatness with their 2003 debut Keep On Your Mean Side; with this potent followup, they’ve definitely hit their stride. This 40-minute disc is a lean, mean anxiety attack of gnarly guitars and snarly lyrics about diseased love, underpinned by stock beatbox grooves and a paranoid, horror-soundtrack ambience. With their stark, throbbing power and sensual vocals, tracks like the title cut, Dead Road 7 and I Hate The Way You Love might be the best songs RTX never wrote. Mainly because The Kills are talented enough, smart enough or (perhaps) straight enough to balance their lo-fi grittiness with strong melodies, tightly wound arrangements and memorable choruses. In a word: Wow.
