Thursday, 25 July 2013

The Pretty Reckless- Light Me Up Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Light Me Up

Artist- The Pretty Reckless

Auditioning for the role of Hannah Montana and playing the role of Cindy Lou in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, many people wouldn’t predict that Taylor Momsen would grow up to front the alternative rock group The Pretty Reckless. However she has, and with an in your face attitude and strong musical sensibilities, Momsen and her band mates have created a cool rock based sound that is powerful, aggressive and in a certain way fun. However as a whole this album could really suck, and you could get bored of the aggressive Momsen and her peers after a while. So as a listen to this record I prepare myself for some great music or bad music.

Track 1- My Medicine

The opening track works perfectly in terms of emphasising the in your face and aggressive sound of the band. The track finds Momsen boldly singing of being in a warped state of being as someone has done something to her and she is now just going crazy, using the metaphor of someone “mixing your medicine” to convey this ideology. It’s a cool declaration that is centred around a strong hook, but the lyrics do suffer in that the hook is highly repetitive and so although strong you kind of get to the point where you’re like ok we get what you are saying. However Momsen makes up for this in her growling vocal performance which is nicely layered as the song continues to creating a building sound that matches the forceful production with it’s aggressive stop and start guitar rhythm and clattering, let’s get the show going drum beats. It could be slightly better but it is a smart and strong opener.

3.5/5

Track 2- Since You’re Gone

The band up the rock ante with this strong number in which Momsen more speaks and growls than sings and the drum beats become more frenzied and cooler than the previous track. Lyrically the track is an aggressive rock to the point number in which Momsen things of how great things are now this person has gone and in the process basically tells him that he is a douche. The vocals are strong has the distortion of her voice gives Momsen a cool aggressive edge, and the group create a good sound in terms of the drums and heavy guitar, with the track being kept short and so nicely not running the risk of becoming boring.

3/5

Track 3- Make Me Wanna Die

The records lead single is a little bit poppier than the previous number but still has that rock base and features Momsen in full on dark and grunge mode. In terms of the lyrics the song is centred around a catchy screech along chorus as Momsen sings of this man who makes her feel so good and bad at the same time cause she’ll never be good enough and he just makes her feel so strongly that she would die for him. The lyrics are centred around a strong and catchy hook that is powerfully propelled by Momsen’s attitude heavy vocal that has a deep and rich tone. The production also really matches the other components of the track, with a gritty guitar bassline and a steady, addictive drum back beat. The intro is also really chilled and mystical, immediately intriguing you, and so as a whole it is easy to see why this was picked as the records first single.

3.5/5

Track 4- Light Me Up

The records title track sounds a little bit old school, 80’s influenced and is a little bit lighter in tone than the previous tracks, even if the lyrical content is still bitter. The track finds Momsen singing about this guy and asking him if it’s right for him to treat her like this, and either way she’s gonna be herself and be on top. It’s a cool statement that is driven by a strong metaphorical hook that is quite catchy. The 80’s kind of sound of the track comes through a little in the light sound with the clunky guitar rhythms and kind of head bobbing groove of the drums, but it also prominently comes through in the grainy vocal performance, with the verses particularly seeming as if Momsen is speaking to us directly and having that kind of past music quality (even perhaps sounding a little British)

3.5/5

Track 5- Just Tonight

A more thoughtful and perhaps delicate side of the band is showcased in this track where Momsen sings of being stuck in a dysfunctional and flagging relationship. The songs message is one that many will have heard before from other artists, but when centred around teenage angsty chorus that goes straight for the heart you cant help but really like the track, with the dark energy of the track being backed by the clattering drum beats and cool electric guitar riffs along with the flowing and moody violins. As well as all this, for once you actually kind of get to see some of the power that lies in Momsen’s voice and the sense that her best self musically lies in being vulnerable whilst at the same time sounding strong.

4/5

Track 6- Miss Nothing

According to Momsen the sixth track and second single was written about Mary Magdalene and how she felt after the crucifixion. It’s kind of a weird statement and a weird base for a song, but when you listen to the track you can get the sense of what Momsen is saying. Either way the song is relatable without this weird religious relation, as Momsen conveys that sense of both missing and not missing a relationship, something that many will have experienced. The vocals feel a lacklustre compared to previous offerings, but this is perhaps because the heavy rock sound with a slight pop edge gives the track a cool fast paced groove and so the track is really dominated by the production.

3.5/5

Track 7- Goin’ Down

Out of all the tracks on the record this one is probably the one I feel would be most suited to a teen movie scene of fast paced frenzy. The track is all about how Momsen is being taken over by this terrible emotion for this guy and just needs to be saved in some way by someone, with the message having a cool adulterous kind of edge. Vocally this is probably one of better Momsen moments, with the fast paced bridge being really cool and making for a cool, get up and rock finish. The only bad thing about this track is the production, as the drums and guitars are good but at this point feel just that little bit too familiar, and so you are kind of looking for a bit more album variation.

3.5/5

Track 8- Nothing Left to Lose

The band go even more tone down for this kind of lighters in the air, mid tempo rock song that is seemingly powerfully influenced by other artists, through lyrical references and the overall sound of the track. Here we find Momsen in a deep place lyrically place as she sings about being able to do anything  because she sees that her and her man weren’t meant to be, and now she’s just caught in this weird state of being. The track is rich lyrically and stands out through the memorable quality of the chorus with its strong hook. Momsen vocally sounds really strong, with the gravelly tone suggesting that she is an old rock and roll gal rather than a newcomer. Plus, with the darkness of the message being offset quite nicely by the simple guitar riffs and light sounding drums, this is a cool change of pace that brings the band and us down to a cool subdued state.

3.5/5

Track 9- Factory Girl

After the cool pace of the last track this offering feels a little lacklustre, as Momsen puts on the role of a fun loving girl looking for a good time. It’s a cool offering in terms of the aggressive vocal performance from Momsen, who really shows that she is letting go. And although the production feels bland at first, when the guitar riffs are kicked up a gear in the middle section and the handclaps start you can get more into the track. However these things are marred by the lyrical content which is so repetitive it is ridiculous, and you get very easily annoyed.

3/5

Track 10- You

Ending the record finds the band being on a very soft and sincere note in which we find the group in a very much down tempo state. And the production, unlike the rest of the record, is highly stripped back, showing off the fragility of Momsen’s vocal performance. Rather than being in your face, Momsen plays it subdued and has a real deep but soft tone to her vocals that show she can be both a strong and hurt individual. The lyrics are potent in their repetition of the word you, as Momsen sings of needing this man who doesn’t feel the same way she does. It’s a message that is quite beautifully distilled by the group, and when backed by a light guitar riffs and some nice strings, this is a great finish to the record and shows that they can do a lot as a band.

4/5

Final Review

From promotion of this record and the persona of the group you could very easily be misled in your view of this band as a full on rock group who are aggressive and dark. But whilst that kind of sound does feature on the record, it’s more correct to think of them as an alternative rock group who can create powerful hooks and show the smallest sense of pop senisbilities within their work. The album could be better in terms of variety of sound in the middle group of songs, and Momsens voice could use some work in places, but as a whole this is a solid debut that even if you don’t like will at least intrigue you and maybe get you paying attention to this group.

6.5/10

Best Track- You

Worst Track- Factory Girl

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