New Music of the Day, November 27:

Sleigh Bells, "Rainmaker"

I always find Sleigh Bells a little hit-or-miss, and most of their latest EP Kid Kruschev is a big miss for me, but I love the single "Rainmaker." It has an early 90s feel that triggers my nostalgia centers, but the unusual thing is that it's blending two very different styles of music from that era. The lyrics and impassioned vocals recall the edgy alternative rock band Curve, but a lot of the production touches come from the era's Top 40 hits, like the background moans that could be from Madonna's "Justify my Love" or the drum fills that sound almost identical to those on PM Dawn's "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss." It's an odd combination, but it adds up to the best song Sleigh Bells have released since "Comeback Kid."