SOUND BITES

This third LP from The Pretty Reckless seeks to expand the group's sonic palette, and it most definitely does; their middle-of-the-road hard rock is sprinkled with influences from deep within rock's rich history. As I listened through the dozen songs, I found so much of it familiar that I went back and scribbled down all of the bands Who You Selling For brought to mind (if you must know they were Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Motorhead, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, Clutch, Kiss, Eurythmics, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pearl Jam, The Beatles, Guns N' Roses, Pink Floyd and David Bowie); the end result is a record that sounds more like a '70s/'80s/'90s hits compilation than it does a singular artistic vision in 2016. It's not like they're butchering the classics, and it's not entirely bad to invoke nostalgia, but at a certain point I have to wonder if The Pretty Reckless intend on making a sound of their own? October 21, 2016 • Razor & Tie Highlights Oh M...

There's nothing wrong with having a good time. Sure, from an artistic standpoint, the best records conjure memories and emotions, or inspire reflection or contemplation. However, sometimes it's best to just turn off your brain, crank it up and just let the music do all the heavy lifting. Going To Hell is undoubtedly an album better suited to the latter category, and that's okay. Their first full-length in four years comes after nearly a solid year of promotion, and is definitely worth the wait as long as you weren't expecting any grand, transcendent statements. The problem is, it seems to aspire to be more than it is. Religious themes abound in the music and imagery, seemingly pointing toward a theme that Going To Hell simply doesn't have. Aside from that cover and a few half-baked lyrical references, nothing sets this album apart from any other that vaguely mentions the existential. The lingering feeling I have after the 46 minutes are up is that The Pretty R...