By: Kaitlyn Drexel | Managing Editor
You may remember her as Cindy Lou-Who from Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or as socialite-wannabe Jenny Humphrey in The CW’s TV Series Gossip Girl. Well, to the say the least, Taylor Momsen (Cindy/Jenny) has now left that spotlight and entered the limelight as front-woman to rock/alternative band, The Pretty Reckless, who recently released their sophomore album, Going to Hell. Having lost previous recordings in their studio in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy, the band was forced to re-record all tracks, produced by Kato Khandwala.
With lead guitarist’s Ben Phillips’ killer riffs, you are immediately hooked right into the first song, “Follow Me Down”, the band’s current single. Quickly followed are their first and second singles, the title track and “Heaven Knows.” The album slows down with “House on a Hill” then speeds up with “Sweet Things” featuring some of Phillips’ backing vocals. “Dear Sister”, the following track, is a short and sweet introduction to the next song, “Absolution”. This track has a very catchy chorus and Momsen’s vocals go very beautifully with it. “Blame Me” is not one of their greatest songs however it has a nice soothing melody to it. “Burn” slows the album down again but the pace is quickened again with the long-titled track, “Why’d You Bring a Shotgun to the Party”, complemented with a good heavy drum beat provided by Jamie Perkins. After the crazed yet soft sounding track, “F***ed Up World”, the album ends with a quiet acoustic ballad, “Waiting for a Friend”, basically the equivalent to “You” from their debut album, Light Me Up.
After hearing the record a few times, it seems as though Momsen’s voice is not exactly built for ballads but for the heavier songs, such as “Heaven Knows,” her voice is absolute perfection. Going to Hell shows a darker, heavier, stripped side of The Pretty Reckless and if you want to give this band a listen, I recommend you listen to the first album and you will see what I mean when you hear this one. Overall, this was a great album and The Pretty Reckless brought their A game.
Rating: 4.5/5
