Following the tragic death of Chris Cornell and their beloved producer Kato , The Pretty Reckless retreated off that infamous Soundgarden tour, which sent the band spiraling. The Pretty Reckless guitarist, Ben Phillips recounts “It turned into a world of depression and substance abuse. At that point, we had to try to figure out how to continue making music. It was either death or go forward.” From that Rock and Roll therapy, Death by Rock and Roll enters the scene.
The album opens up with the title track, “Death by Rock and Roll,” the first single of the album released. This track encompasses the attitude and lifestyle of Rock and Roll, and I love that the album winds down with a softer track, “Rock and Roll Heaven,” that’s about discovering Rock and Roll and how it inspires and started this whole trajectory of the band’s life. Both songs mention her dads broken needle on his vinyl player which was a great visual for me of how deeply ingrained Rock and Roll is in their lives.
“And So It Went” is the band’s latest release, featuring the legendary Tom Morello. This song SLAPS and really shows Taylor’s vocal diversity and she screams the chorus, but has a soft and innocent bridge just before Tom Morello’s guitar solo.
“25” might be my favorite track on this album, with the slow intro and military-like drum cadence. As the song builds, Taylor’s vocal range is highlighted again ranging from deep soft tones, to her gravelly powerful vocals. Halfway through the song, it picks up a bit with a Beatles-esque upbeat tempo and soft vocals and almost reminds me of some of TOOL’s experimental sound as she counts back into the chorus “At 25, all hope has died and the glass of my intentions turns to sand and shatters in my hand.”
Death by Rock and Roll shows how “rock and roll saved our lives,” and how life (and death) by rock and roll is the only way to live. All rock lovers need this album in their library! This album releases on all music platforms on February 12, 2021. Pre-save and pre-order now!
Tracklist:
- Death by Rock and Roll
- Only Love Can Save Me Now
- And So It Went
- 25
- My Bones
- Got So High
- Broomsticks
- Witches Burn
- Standing At The Wall
- Turning Gold
- Rock And Roll Heaven
- Harley Dying
