Released by: Dead Exit / Black Lodge
Release Date: 31 May 2019
Line Up:
Ivan Ivve Höglund – Vocals
Axl Ludwig – Guitar
Kim Chevelle – Bass
Johnny Benson – Drums
Tracklist:
Lets Get It Out
Meant for Trouble
Superman
Wild And free
Give It All Tonight
Stand My Ground
The Way I Am
Thanks To You
Shot Me Down
Walk The Edge
I Love It
Break Down The Walls
The luck of your birth sort of dictates what music you listen to. Sort of. I was born in 1972 and some of my absolute favorite bands are from that era (KISS, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa,) but I was also of the age during the ’80s for the emergence of 80’s Hard Rock. There is no shame in my game. I freely admit to liking many of those bands from the ’80s that are completely responsible for the hole in the ozone. There is a true resurgence of that style (and to some degree the look) right now and I for one hope this resurgence continues. Sometimes music needs to be fun, reckless, and wild; it fills a void missing in my life, and I wager it does the same for many others. One of these bands that have recently caught my ear is called Pretty Wild.
Sweden is responsible for some pretty kick-ass music, and Pretty Wild is proving that point just fine with their third release Interstate 13. Sounding like a cross between Motley Crue, Killer Dwarfs, D’Molls, and Vain but keeping it updated like Crazy Lixx and Eclipse with up-tempo beats and heavy doses of melodic rock injected (think happy music with sing-along choruses,) Pretty Wild is quite entertaining. I was struck how, on the surface, the music sounds fairly cut and dry, but if you scratch beneath the surface you find that there is a supremely talented group of people who have the abilities to write songs that are tapped into that 80’s feel yet not totally mired in a nostalgic throwback sound. This is their third album (first for me,) and I’m totally enamored by tracks like “Wild & Free,” “Let’s Get It Out,” “Break Down the Walls,” and “Walk the Edge” that evoke anthemic feelings without being braindead about it. They have a maturity that some of their clear influences missed out on.
This is yet another band/album that came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. It’s the perfect melding of 80’s “cheese” sensibilities with a current day melodic rock approach. This may fall under people’s radar, so here’s hoping I get a few more of you tuned into this band with this review. It is also one of those albums that “sneak attacks” you. With each listen, I liked it more and more and found more stuff I loved about it.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10
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