Album Review: Pretty & Nice – Get Young
Rating: 7.7
This year New England’s Pretty & Nice trumps warm clam chowda with their Get Young album. Sure, it seems like the 10 tracks go fast, but the hearty glow you feel after listening just sticks for days.
The three-headed artisans on Hardly Art’s label could be compared with candy-wired kids trapped in the toy department of a store. Holden Lewis, Jeremy Mendicino and Bobby Landy transpire their experimental pop ruckus with an innovative energy that harnesses clashing sounds and curt singing choruses, much like Beck.
Highlighting the album are “Tora Tora Tora” and “Nuts and Bolts”. At the second track track, “Tora Tora Tora” jumps out with the refrain “The Japanese are singing Tora…” as the drums constantly stop and start as the vocals splice apart every lyric. “Nuts and Bolts” springs from the onset through a scattered electric guitar and quick transitions from lyrics about the sun (“life on the sun ain’t much fun when you’re the only one”) tied with a keyboard enhancing twinkle.
Rarely do the tracks on Get Young maintain a consistent feel in part to the sporadic implementation of the drums, keyboards and guitar. Fortunately, the Talking Heads inspired singing style links everything in the album back together. The strangely addicting technique could be why Get Young finishes just as fast as it starts.
Overall, this album isn’t for everyone, but it demands at least a listen. The opening track “Piranha” provides a perfect taste for what Pretty & Nice brought with this work. Consider Get Young one of the most fun (yeah, FUN) albums of the year. Not only will the first time one listens to this album feel like the tenth, but the vibrancy will remain.
The group previously released, Pink & Blue, which was remixed in their Blue & Blue album. For more info on the group, head to their web page.
MP3: Pretty & Nice – Tora Tora Tora (buy)
Popularity: 2% [?]
Related Posts:
