Disclaimer: this album should only be played for listeners who want to have a good time. The first time I listened to Get Young‚ I was tired and cranky‚ therefore ill prepared for the level of good time Pretty & Nice create on a regular basis. From the thrashing garage rock of opener "Piranha‚" to synth-saturated "Solar Energy‚" the group are relentless in their pop-rock attack -- great for any party‚ not great for sleep-deprived writers.
After a good night's sleep‚ I gave Young another chance and realized the album could accomplish more than simply making me jealous that people could have so much fun fiddling with knobs in the studio and professing a vague fascination for all things Japan. Although the lyrics never delve much deeper than what the Japanese are screaming (Tora! Tora! Tora! apparently)‚ Young is a concise and urgent collection that at its best can make you jump for joy like the girl who graces its cover. Clocking in at under a half-hour‚ labeling the album as exhausting would seem off base‚ but Young's barrage of lightning-paced choruses and synth hooks leave you out of breath when all is said and done. Pop anthems like "Nuts and Bolts" and "Grab Your Nets" have a distinct Pretty & Nice sound; what's problematic is that the songs aren't always easy to distinguish from each other. This makes Young sometimes feel like one half-hour pop song instead of ten three-minute ones.
What Pretty & Nice do have in their corner is a slew of catchy anthems more infectious than chicken pox at a daycare center. The album can be overwhelming when played from start to finish‚ but pretty much every song has the potential to be a mix tape highlight amidst varied material. In the end‚ Young should be treated like a bag of candy -- it's sweet in moderation‚ but if you consume it all in one go‚ you'll need to lie down.
What Pretty & Nice do have in their corner is a slew of catchy anthems more infectious than chicken pox at a daycare center. The album can be overwhelming when played from start to finish‚ but pretty much every song has the potential to be a mix tape highlight amidst varied material. In the end‚ Young should be treated like a bag of candy -- it's sweet in moderation‚ but if you consume it all in one go‚ you'll need to lie down.
new to state of mind
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
random awesomeness
Albums: Steve Winwood - Nine Lives
Shows: Duke Robillard Band
Albums: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Shows: The Infamous Stringdusters
Shows: Las Tortugas IV
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Blog: Jim James and the Jacket in a Suspicious State of Mind
Shows: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Albums: Steve Winwood - Nine Lives
Shows: Duke Robillard Band
Albums: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Shows: The Infamous Stringdusters
Shows: Las Tortugas IV
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Blog: Jim James and the Jacket in a Suspicious State of Mind
Shows: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014