This review can be kept quite short, a little over two months ago The Pretty Reckless released their EP and now the album Light Me Up is out. Usually you’d expect a little more time between EP an album but I don’t work in the release department of Interscope so I don’t know. Not that it’s much more than the EP, with ten songs and barely 34 minutes of play time it fits the trend of ever shorter albums.
One of the songs of the EP didn’t make it to the album but seven others were added. As for the themes of the album, they’re more of the same though that isn’t really surprising, the EP really should be seen as a preview of the album. So for the most part I’m going to refer back to the earlier review for that aspect.
So what are the best songs on there? I’d say Miss Nothing, Just Tonight and strangely enough the slower Nothing Left to Lose. Despite my reservations certain content in those songs. They’re just pleasant to listen to, mainly the last two. One thing I have to point out though is that I’m never that impressed with Taylor’s vocals, I’d call them sufficient and well suited for the music but she’ll never stand out as a vocalist.
I can’t say that I’m very fond of My Medicine (the reasons for that are known), Since You’re Gone, Factory Girl and the title track Light Me Up. They sound a bit generic to me as far as rock songs are concerned, that’s probably my main problem with the whole thing. The songs aren’t exactly spectacular and if you were to hear it on the radio and not know it, you wouldn’t go “wow, who is that?”. It would just slip by in the background.
So here is my problem with this whole Taylor Momsen and her music thing. The impression I get from listening to this album is that we’re dealing with someone who’s so desperately trying to be different from the current pop mainstream that she goes overboard and loses perspective. What have a lot of rock bands in the past made songs about? Sex, drugs, alcohol and who knows what. So what does Taylor do? She makes songs about that.
Sorry but I’m not buying it, I can honestly only give this a three point rating (at the lower end of the three point ratings). First because the EP made me hopeful for something better, most of the highlights are on there. In general however I just feel that for this type of music it’s rather generic and because of the themes of her songs she just loses point. Though I will say this, when Taylor comes out and states that she is a drug addict and alcoholic then I will post a correction of a lot of what I have said here and increase the rating of the album. To sum it up in one line I’d say that through the Pretty Reckless, Taylor Momsen trying so hard to be outside of the mainstream that she’s gone a bit generic.
So is it a good album to buy? It is yes, just could have been better.
Tags: Taylor Momsen
