Label: Razor & Tie
Review by Tony Cannella
At last, we have the return of The Pretty Reckless. The band made such a huge impact with the previous album, 2014’s “Going to Hell”. That is such a great album and the anticipation for some new music has been enormous. Finally, we have a new album from Taylor Momsen and company entitled, “Who You Selling For”. “Who You Selling For” has plenty of what people came to love about The Pretty Reckless, from Taylor Momsen‘s soulful singing style to their hypnotic rhythms, but The Pretty Reckless has changed things up enough to give this record a new and different feel than their previous records. “Walls Are Closing In/Hangman” begins with Taylor Momsen only accompanied by piano before segueing into a strong rocker with hypnotic vocals and heavy riffs. Next we have “Oh My God” which opens with a doomy vibe before transforming in a relentless fast paced track that includes some of the strongest work that The Pretty Reckless has done to date. Next is the even more fantastic “Take Me Down”. This song has such a strong swagger and confidence to it and became another favorite song in the expansive catalog of TPR. Taylor Momsen has some tremendous vocals and she is always easily identifiable when you hear her. She’s got a huge presence. Other highlights include: “Prisoner”, “Wild City” and “The Devil’s Back”. As a huge fan of The Pretty Reckless and especially the “Going to Hell” album, I will admit to being somewhat underwhelmed at first by “Who You Selling For”. But after repeated listens the record slowly and surely started to take hold to the point where I really grew to like “Who You Selling For”. Sometimes things don’t hit you right-off-the-bat. Often it’s the stuff that isn’t as immediate that has the most staying power. I have the feeling that “Who You Selling For” will be such an album.
Rating – 88/100
Tracklist
- The Walls Are Closing In/Hangman
- Oh My God
- Take Me Down
- Prisoner
- Wild City
- Back to the River (feat. Warren Haynes)
- Who You Selling For
- Bedroom Window
- Living in the Storm
- Already Dead
- The Devil’s Back
- Mad Love
Line Up
- Taylor Momsen – Lead Vocals
- Ben Phillips – Lead Guitar
- Mark Damon – Bass
- Jamie Perkins – Drums