Pretty Reckless, The: Going to Hell

I really can't fully make my mind up about this one. I've quite enjoyed this band's fairly minimal previous output and I find much to enjoy on Going to Hell but I have just a sense that there is more than a touch of cynical marketing going on. Lead singer and sometime actress Taylor Momsen is a somewhat interesting media creation and I'm willing to take at face value that she and her band are as grungey and sleazy as they make out but at times everything screams out PACKAGED REBELLION FOR THE KIDS!

For example there are vaguely sacrilegious lyrics throughout (the title track discusses taking lives and redefining sin) but it is "Heaven Knows" which takes the biscuit and rams it down the listeners' throats in the haven't-I-heard-this-before department. Here's the opening lyric;

Jimmy's in the back with a pocket of high
If you listen close
You can hear him cry
Oh, Lord, heaven knows
We belong way down below
Sing it
Oh, Lord, heaven knows
We belong way down below
Way down below, way down below

See the bit where she says, "Sing it?" Cue mass gang of children joining it, it's just so…Joan Jett that in many ways it can't be taken overly seriously but definitely reeks of unoriginality. Therein lies the problem with this album; there's little that hasn't been done before but I'd imagine that if you were a member of the core demographic you'd probably embrace it wholly.

Track listing:
01. Follow Me Down
02. Going to Hell
03. Heaven Knows
04. House On a Hill
05. Why'd You Bring a Shotgun to the Party
06. Sweet Things
07. Burn
08. Blame Me
09. Dear Sister
10. Absolution
11. Fucked Up World
12. Waiting for a Friend

Added: March 31st 2014
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1854
Language: english

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