Album Review: The Pretty Littles - 'Gospel'

24 June 2015 | 3:01 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Wow.

More The Pretty Littles More The Pretty Littles

It goes without saying that obviously, a lot of Australian bands are fantastic. But fewer of them actually sound Australian, and therein lies the rub. Melbourne outfit The Pretty Littles are bringing a new level of sincerity to our scene with their unique brand of disorderly rock that combines one-two-screw-you jams with an unaltered accent and lyrics so honest you couldn’t even read them out in confession.

Mini-album ‘Gospel’ smashes out rock songs that throw punches without losing the Australian edge that characterises their swings. Opener ‘Dangerman’ is a casual but desperate outlay of emotions that includes romantic pick-ups like, ‘I could treat you mean if that’ll keep you keen’. Other tracks with damning lyrical honesty tough to argue with include ‘Ava’, which has a guitar/drum combo that crafts an upbeat mood definitely not mirrored in its subject. Somehow that amplifies its impact. The vocals on the album aren’t overly focused on showing off, but they’re also not lazy; they’re believable.

The stereotypes that dominate the lives of male Australians are also addressed as ‘proud men’ are dealt with on the darker ‘Back Paddock Blues’. Delightfully, ‘Local Footy’ sarcastically dishes out a ‘you’ll be right' laid over a bitter acoustic foundation. What could get more Australian than that? Oh, and before we forget, 'Tegan Victoria’ is basically a PSA; The Pretty Littles love you, Tegan, if you’re out there.

Genre-wise, this album is not easy to fit under a label. Shades of classic Australian rock are present, while even Brit rock is distinguishable and a Mclusky-resemblant apathy makes itself known. The male/female duet that is ‘Man Baby’ creatively establishes a break in the sound of the record, making it more difficult to define but even easier to enjoy.

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Local artists have been doing us proud this year and The Pretty Littles are an outfit we can count among them. If you’re a fan of brutal honesty as satisfying and unsystematic as it comes, you won’t find a better option than this.

1. Dangerman

2. Sinkin’ Feeling

3. Tegan Victoria

4. Ava

5. Man Baby

6. Local Footy

7. Back Paddock Blues

8. Religion Is My Favourite