The Pretty Reckless - EP

I wrote about The Pretty Reckless when they released their debut single, "Make Me Wanna Die".  This new rock band is led by the young Taylor Momsen.  Their self titled EP, which was released today, contains the band's lead single along with three new tracks that give The Pretty Reckless an even more promising future.

The first track, "Make Me Wanna Die", is the obvious choice for a single.  It's very radio friendly for modern rock stations.  For a more in depth review of the song, check out my post about it, here.  The second song is "My Medicine".  This song shows off Momsen's vocals and presence much better than the lead single.  The attitude in the vocal performance is enough to make it my favorite song on the EP.

The third song is "Goin' Down".  It's much heavier than the previous two.  Being very similar of 90's hard rock and grunge, the band, specifically the drummer, really shines through on this track.  With the lyrics, "Hey there father I don't wanna bother you, but I've got a sin to confess. I'm just sixteen if you know what I mean, do you mind if I take off my dress?", you can really see the young, rebellious, and more dangerous side of Momsen.

The final song, "Zombie", can only be found on the physical version of the EP.  It's definitely worth skipping iTunes for this song.  It's similar to "Make Me Wanna Die" in terms of theme.  "Zombie" is dark and heavy.

The Pretty Reckless will release their debut full length album, Light Me Up, later this year.  I would, without a doubt, give this EP a listen.  The physical disc containing "Zombie" is available only on the Warped Tour and at Hot Topic, but the extra song is a good incentive to pick it up.  The Pretty Reckless have quickly become one of my favorite new bands.  If they can match the power of this EP on Light Me Up, then you're in for a great album.

The Pretty Reckless - Make Me Wanna Die

The Pretty Reckless is an upcoming hard rock band whose unlikely front-woman is one of the demanding new names in music.  The band is led by sixteen year old vocalist Taylor Momsen.  She is probably best known for her role on the television drama series, Gossip Girl.  With The Pretty Reckless, Momsen completely sheds her role as an actress. She becomes the leader of a rock and roll band.

"Make Me Wanna Die" doesn't have lyrics that will make you smile. With a chorus of, "You make me wanna die, I'll never be good enough...", the song could be about heartbreak or anger.  Momsen's delivery of these lyrics is incredibly believable.  Her lower register is the highlight of the song.

While Momsen may seem to be the focus of the music, The Pretty Reckless is not a solo project. It is indeed a band.  The amazing instrumental and backing vocals prove that there are other band members worth paying attention to.  I feel that a band image will attract much more attention than only Momsen being on the promo shots.

The band's debut single is very reminiscent of 90's grunge.  The musical style of The Pretty Reckless is very similar to Hole.  While the music may be connected, Taylor Momsen's voice is much stronger than Courtney Love's.  The band's debut album is coming out later this year.  The band hasn't released any other official song's yet.  This adds even more anticipation to the record's release.  I would check out "Make Me Wanna Die" if you want a fresh rock song with a killer chorus.