By: Jesse Striewski

I’m not going to lie, aside from a handful of acts (Sixx A.M. and Chevelle are a couple that come to mind) modern mainstream rock bands like The Pretty Reckless are far from my usual cup of tea. Not to mention the whole put-a-hot-chick-in-front-of-some-generic-dudes-in-a-band gimmick has worn slightly thin at this point. But I’ve got to be honest, after giving their latest effort a listen, I discovered it wasn’t half bad.

Admittedly, the album’s initial single/title track didn’t do much to stir up a lot of interest for me – and that still hasn’t really changed. But once one digs a bit deeper, there’s a lot more that the band has to offer. Sure, there’s some definite filler tracks here, but there’s also a fairly large, eclectic mix of tracks; “Only Love Can Save Me Now,” “My Bones,” and “Witches Burn” all feature some heavy blues and/or doom-inspired riffs, while “Got So High,” “Rock and Roll Heaven,” and “Harley Darling” each sound like something straight out of the ’90s. There’s even a ballad of sorts in “Standing at the Wall.”

Am I a die hard fan of The Pretty Reckless after listening to their new album? Hardly. But I think it’s fair to say I’ll probably give further releases by them more of a chance now (and might even consider seeing them live should the chance ever present itself) after allowing Death By Rock and Roll my full attention. Give it a try, and maybe you’ll agree.

Rating: 3/5 Stars