ALBUM REVIEW ~ THE PRETTY RECKLESS ~ 'OTHER WORLDS'

I'm music magazine, the pretty reckless, taylor momsen, death by rock and roll, harley darling, other worlds, soundgarden, david bowie, pearl jam, david bowie, matt cameron,, mike garson,

The Pretty Reckless have been loudly making themselves known for over 10 years now. The deeply emotional, blues influenced voice and guitar riffs of front woman, Taylor Momsen, have been the driving force of this four piece group. Last year’s Death by Rock and Roll lit up the charts. The following tour provided more fuel to their fiery rise. The highly anticipated follow up album, Other Worlds just recently dropped, and it is truly an exploration of the fringes of their music.

The album opens with a remix of last year’s “Got So High.” The ethereal, mournful sound, seems suited to the almost despairing lyrics, even more so than the soulful original. It is almost an audio high in itself. “Turned out wasted, confused, complacent / I lost my center, suppose I meant to hide” are words that float in on a soft wave that elicit an image of another world. There are a few other remixes and acoustic versions from Death by Rock and Roll like “25” and the title track. There are several covers on this album as well. Several Soundgarden songs, an Elvis Costello song, and a cover of a song from the Thin White Duke himself, David Bowie. Guest artists include Soundgarden, and current Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, pianist and Bowie collaborator Mike Garson, and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Alain Johannes. In the press release we received, Taylor Momsen is quoted, “For a long time, we’ve been trying to figure out an alternative way of releasing music, including songs we love that didn’t make our records, covers, and alternate versions.” The covers on this album are reimagined with not only respect to the originals, but in a way that stays true to the lyrical core of the song. With Soundgarden’s “Halfway There,” Momsen takes the initial opening acoustic chords, and continues it throughout the song, with help from Mike Garson. With the cover of David Bowie’s “Quicksand,” the piano becomes more prominent than in the original and is truly inspired by Bowie himself.

These are but a few insights into Other Worlds. The band explored and created a new outlet for their creativity. The album is a deviation off the tried and true Pretty Reckless path, when it comes to musical direction. Other Worlds shows how the band is trying to grow, and mature, but on its own terms.

I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Michele Hancock