Album Review: Pretty Addicted - Soul For Sale
It can be quite a fun endeavour to explain to people just exactly what Pretty Addicted is musically.
Part of you wants to quantify the electronic chaos in to sub-genres and descriptive examples along the lines of angry, punk, rave-like madness. Which of course can never explain P.A with any true justice.
The other part of you decides 'Nah, screw that' and just plays a banger on the nearest device; Be that one of the classics like 'Mania' and 'Filthy Whore Mouth' or the new contender for top tune when it comes to Pretty Addicted in the form of 'Dickhead' that finishes off this latest album. Either way whoever you're explaining it to will no doubt be loving it!
Vicious Precious has been powering through the last year. Despite the difficulties of lockdown and constantly postponed tours, she has managed to make no less than eight music videos for this album already, with another on the way I believe. Two done professionally, and six from the artistic realms of her own home and mind. (I've not put them all in for fear of slowing down the page too much but check for more on the P.A YouTube!)
Let's take a dive in to an aptly named album for someone who really has put their soul in to their music.
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Review
We kick off with a strong start. 'Mother' is a real angst fuelled tear in to force-fed religion and personal life realities. The tempo gets you moving and appreciating the rave value Pretty Addicted often delivers but most importantly there is a slight air of humour to it all to take the edge off.
'Soul For Sale' feels like a fall down the Rabbit hole with its descent like synth tones. The way these tones introduce the track feels like a real twist on classical music, in a sense of how far a classical structure could be electronically corrupted whilst still retaining that classic composition vibe.
This album explores mental health in great detail and that comes across well in this ballad.
Nothing is ever quite as it seems with Pretty Addicted; Will the next verse drop some bass and bring more rave or will it drop to a slower, more poetic experiment in song structure? You're never quite sure and it makes for a truly cinematic experience in your mind as you listen.
'Lone Wolf' has a nice air of underlying trance and euphoria in amongst the personal growth message. There is a hint of Prodigy and Pendulum in this track that brings depth to the dance breakdown parts.
Continuing with the theme of mental health and mindful exploration of the self we have 'Too Much (90 Days A Cycle)' and 'Phobia'. The later has one hell of an entrancing beat that pulls you in, or at least it did to me whilst wearing headphones. It's only by the end of the track when a voice sample snaps you out of it do you realise how invested you've become to the beat.
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Which brings me to ''Tones & Whiskey' which I was lucky enough to be a part of in the music video. The 'Tones part referring to one of Vish's favourite bands, Deftones and the whiskey to her favourite drink, Jack Daniels. It's a drawn out lustful song with a good break down and injection of energy where you don't expect it, making for a rather mature and complex song. Much like the appreciation for a fine whiskey, this song hits all the right spots once it kicks in.
The aggression returns with style in 'Oink Fukkin Oink'. Plenty of drum loops to keep the electro head boot stompers happy, whereas 'Puppet' would keep the slower darkwave Goths entertained as they weave malaise-d shapes across the dancefloor.
I love a bit of activism in my music that's without a doubt and 'Inappropriate Nursery Rhymes' has to be one of the best tracks I've ever heard in regards to veganism and addressing animal cruelty. Not only are the lyrics simple but effective, the easy listening nature of the track peppered with sinister lyrics echoes the wonderful feel of legendary bands like Placebo and Garbage. Definitely one of my favourites on the album.
'Made your Bed', 'My Own Salvation', and 'Planet Trance' are great tracks to relax to. there's been a lot of thought put in to their compositions, especially 'Planet Trance' which bring a chilled out respite from the aggression in the rest of the album. It's one of those tracks that would take you on a fantastic trip should you ever be looking for another addition to your playlist of intoxication.
Finally we have 'Dickhead' which is a powerhouse of a track. If you liked 'Mania' then you will love this. It's brings a vibrant industrial beat verging on aggrotech but intermixed with trance, after all the two genres are pretty much siblings at the bare bones. With Vish piping out some metal as hell vocals this song has all of the best alterative genres rolled in to one fantastic song that will have any dancefloor packed out the second it comes on. I for one can't wait to see dozens of Goth chanting out 'Dickhead' in the future.
Tracklist
Mother Soul For Sale Too Much (90 Days A Cycle) 'Tones & Whiskey Lone Wolf Phobia Oink Fukkin Oink (Piggy II) Puppet Inappropriate Nursery Rhymes Made your Bed My Own Salvation
Planet Trance Dickhead
Conclusion
There are albums written to appeal to mass markets and sell, sell, sell. There are album that space off in to weird and experimental venues with no real expectation of selling many copies. What we have with 'Soul For Sale' however is a personal diary of pain and experience penned out to music that speaks deepest to Pretty Addicted's soul. In that sense it is an experimental venue that addresses some very important issues of toxicity, family, religion, animal cruelty, mental health struggles, and much more. The impressive creativity required to put these subjects to such upbeat music and still come out with a very enjoyable album for a lot of people is certainly not lost on me and it indeed makes it worth buying. Vish's Pretty Addicted 'Crackhead' (FB Group name) fanbase absolutely love every piece of work she puts out. Always there for the video premiers, regular live chats with fans to keep them updated, and throughout her sometimes very visible struggles online. In this many of us who know what it is to go through similar themes in life connect with her music in a very poignant way and this album is very much the epitome of that connection and understanding between artist and audience. So it is that this album was easily crowdfunded from and every hungry audience.
I see a couple of these tracks becoming nightclub classic floor fillers in the near future. This is the pure, angry Electro-Punk that the scene needs right now.
Scores
Technicality: 7/10
Dance factor: 8.5/10
Energy: 8/10
Vocals: 7/10
Re-playability: 8/10
Overall score: 7.5 / 10
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