Quirky indie pop rockers Pretty & Nice have resurfaced again, this time with a new album full of energetic pop gems that prove this band is worth the buzz around it. The Boston quartet generated a lot of interest off of their first release Get Young and gigs at SXSW but after their second LP release the love faded. While most bands would have given up Pretty & Nice kept their nose to the grindstone and kept at it. This release on a new label shows the band is again worthy of the buzz, with their new wave influences intact they lay down an infectious funky beat and overlay it with a heavy dose of power pop.
Starting with the albums first song "Stallion & Mare" with singer Holden Lewis' repeated opening line "We are all instruments" and then joining with another of their infectious beats the song is a great introduction to the sound the band has carefully crafted over the years.
The songs "Mummy Jets" and "Critters" show how they can take a quirky beat and make it a danceable treat, both showcasing some of their more is better approach to adding layers of instruments over the basic track while maintaining the initial pop feel.
"New Czar" begins with a snappy snare drum beat that pulls the listener into the song and begs you to get up and move with them. "Gold Fools" starts with a strange cowboy sort of electronic beat and features some of Lewis' poignant crooning, catch it quick as it clocks in at a minute and a half. "Yonkers" also showcases the musical journey that the band can take a listener through, a tour de force of style shifts and riffs that can only be described as controlled chaos. "Money Music" is another great song that while not necessarily a danceable pop song it continues with the "we are all instruments" theme and covers such topics as zombies and money. "Kill The Beast" is another great short tune with lines like "I'm the president of the world now because the beast is dead now" featuring a great pop fill that makes the listener wish the tune was longer.
Overall a great album with some fantastic pop surprises as well as the aforementioned controlled chaos that crosses many different musical genres. The band is currently touring to support the release and their live show has been given great reviews as well.
