Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Pretty Mugs - Pretty Mugs

2/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Pretty Mugs

Pretty Mugs
self-released; 2015

3.7 out of 5


By J Simpson

Do you remember plays like Godspell or Hair that tried to squeeze the seismic repercussions of the '60s counterculture into musical theater, to really freak out the squares. Now imagine if someone were to attempt to do something similar with punk, telling a dystopian, slipstream alternate history where punk never happened, and what that future might look like. It's a bizarre mish-mash of The Who's Tommy, Philip K. Dick's The Man In The High Tower, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and a handful of glam and punk influences. 

The problem is, the idea of a speculative fiction musical theater concept album is about as punk as a Hillary Clinton convention. Punk this is not. 

What we're left with is a loose, musical theater concept album, steeped in mod, glam, and rock n’ roll. If you like those styles, you'll probably get into Pretty Mugs self-titled debut Pretty Mugs just fine. Fans of New York Dolls or T Rex will likely get down to these choppy Gibson riffs, with paranoid Elvis-like vocals overtop, like Lux Interior after a two day speed bender, ripping through his Lightning Hopkins LPs in search of inspiration. The vocal style, however, can be a little too samey-same, with songs tending to blur together. You can be left wondering how long this never-ending song is going to go on. 

The guitar tones are pretty consistent, as well, favoring a sparkling, chiming, chorus-like sound, like early R.E.M. Reading through the broadsheet, Pretty Mugs cite television and wire as seminal influences, both of whom influenced R.E.M., so that makes sense. 

Honestly, the more I listen to Pretty Mugs, the more into it I become. It may not be punk, but there's more to life than snarling, howling revolution all the time. Instead, Pretty Mugs remind me of glammy rock n’ roll, not too far from early AC/DC or even Bruce Springsteen. At this point, that brand of blue-collar rock n’ roll seems even more pertinent than the hyper-adrenalized soundtrack of youth revolt of bands like MDC or Bad Brains, when they weren't playing reggae. 

Rock music, and most blues-derived music, seems to be, at the end of the day, about going out, having a good time, and blowing off some steam. It's the intersecting point between a huge metal festival in the German forest and a honky-tonk saloon on a Saturday night. One might be lit with an Old Style neon sign, while the other is illuminated with burning torches, but it's ultimately the same thing. It's about being wild and free, doing your own thing and not letting yourself be controlled. 

At this point, the idea of punk is dangerous, as it's too easy for someone to staple on a costume and have a built in revolution that requires zero thought or self-analysis. Stripped down, working class rock n’ roll is more punk than punk, in that capacity. 

So strap yourself into your Teenage Rocket, get ready for Saturday night, don't worry, and have a good time. It's not that pretty.
Become A Fan
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact