The Prettys' Soirée dishes out ’70s nostalgia

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      The Prettys
      Soirée (Independent)

      Formerly known as the Bumpin’ Uglys, the Prettys is a driving force in the lives of its members.

      Lead guitarist-vocalist Code Andrusko has said the entirety of the dark-glam, protopunk, retro-rocking quintet would be in either jail or graves if it weren’t for this project, and that sense of life-and-death urgency can be heard in its sophomore album, Soirée.

      Granted, depending on a band for stability may not sound like the most solid plan. Being in a band is usually how people pick up their demons, not drive them away, but these days, you’ve gotta grab onto whatever you can, and ride it out as far as it’ll take you.

      From the sporty stripes and ornate font of the washed-out cover to the rich vintage sound (recorded, produced, and mixed by Felix Fung at Little Red Sounds), everything about Soirée screams of ’70s nostalgia, touching on reference points as diverse as Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, Sweet, T. Rex, and Talking Heads.

      Soirée may appear all sepia-toned and summery, but it has an edge that sharpens with repeat listenings. Think Bend Sinister with a little more dirt under their fingernails and funk in their trunk, or a sweet jam session with Diane Coffee, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and the Growlers.

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