Another Sound  is the second release from these Canadian retro-rockers who now call South Florida home, but in the time since the group's debut Lipstick Kiss a lot has changed. Frontman/guitarist Jeph Thorslund got married to guitarist/vocalist Hannah Thorslund, so along with brother Thomas on drums, The Pretty Faces is now the ultimate family-ties band.

The album opens with  "Right On The Money", a title that's truth in advertising, since this is one of the gems of the collection. The track starts with Thomas just playing a four-to-the-bar kick-drum beat, then gradually adds layers of guitars, vocals and rhythm  to compelling effect.

The Pretty Faces’ sound is a mix of New Wave and garage rock,  so it evokes bands both old and new. The guitar and drums of "Pistolera" might seem reminiscent of The Killers but also echoes early-'80s bands such as Cheap Trick and The Cars. Similarly, "Rib" bears a musical resemblance to the sound of  The Strokes, but the sharp wit and clever wordplay of its lyrics ("Hold your tongue and stop the clamour/Don’t correct my English grammar") are pure Elvis Costello.The Costello influence can be evidenced in Jeph’s sneering vocal for the driving rocker  "Inch By Inch".

The following track, "Elephant" is Hannah's sole songwriting contribution (and lead vocal), but the composition and performance makes a strong case for more of her work appearing on future albums. From its catchy guitar intro to a vocal that starts airily then builds up steam over a tapestry of power chords,  throbbing bass and explosive cymbals, this track is one of the best of this collection.  Its clever lyrics are also notable (chorus: "And I try to push that black behind/But I have been cursed with an elephant’s mind"). Like the perfect dinner guest, this sprightly track departs before the listener loses interest in it, a quality exhibited by this album as a whole.

The closing track "Sinking Ship" starts with a pulsing bassline that is, to borrow the parlance of the Beatles-era Liverpool music scene, "mean, moody and magnificent". This is the perfect track to which to stomp around the dance floor, and a great way to end a fun album.
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Another Sound  is the second release from these Canadian retro-rockers who now call South Florida home. The group is a family affair; frontman/guitarist Jeph Thorslund is related by blood to drummer Thomas Thorslund (who is his brother) and by marriage to guitarist/vocalist Hannah Thorslund. Their previous release was 2004’s Lipstick Kiss, a fourteen-track collection.

The album opens with  "Right On The Money", a title that could be described as truth in advertising, since this song is one of the gems of this collection. The track begins subtly with just Thomas playing a four-to-the-bar kick-drum beat and gradually adds layers of guitars, vocals and rhythm  to compelling effect.

The Pretty Faces’ sound can be described a mix of New Wave power pop and garage rock,  so it evokes bands both old and new. The guitar and drums of "Pistolera" might seem reminiscent of The Killers but also echoes early-'80s bands such as Cheap Trick and The Cars. Similarly, "Rib" bears a musical resemblance to the sound of  The Strokes, but the sharp wit and clever wordplay of its lyrics ("Hold your tongue and stop the clamour/Don’t correct my English grammar") owe a huge debt to New Wave pioneer Elvis Costello.The Costello influence can be evidenced in Jeph’s sneering vocal for the driving rocker  "Inch By Inch".

The subsequent track "Elephant" is Hannah's sole songwriting contribution (and lead vocal), but the composition and performance makes an exceedingly strong case for more of her work appearing on future albums. From its catchy guitar intro to a vocal that starts airy builds up steam over a tapestry of power chords,  throbbing bass and explosive cymbals, this track is one of the best of this collection.  Its clever lyrics are also notable (chorus: "And I try to push that black behind/But I have been cursed with an elephant’s mind"). Like the perfect dinner guest, this sprightly track departs before the listener loses interest in it, a quality exhibited by this album as a whole.

The closing track "Sinking Ship" starts with a pulsing bassline that is, to borrow the parlance of the Beatles-era Liverpool music scene, "mean, moody and magnificent". This is the perfect track to which to stomp around the dance floor, and a great way to end a fun album.
                            Read more...