Best part: They’re Midwesterners
St. Louis’s Pretty Little Empire has gained a massive fan base in their home town, and with good reason. This record, being their third release, is full of tunes with gently-building bass lines. Maintaining a soft tone through this album, Pretty Little Empire creates an atmosphere of gentle melodies, reflective lyrics, and a touch of lo-fi. With a restlessly-tuneful core, it’s easy to be enamored with the flowing guitar parts and tracks that bleed into each other. Overall, this album provides some easy listening. Admittedly, the majority of these songs are slow and lulling (except for track 8. #8 hits hard- – Built to Spill-jam-session style). Pretty Little Empire is too good of a band to be a St. Louis secret. Play this.
RIYL: The Walkmen, The National, Tallest Man on Earth, Modest Mouse
REC: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10
Reviewed by Katie Barrett 12/9/13
Stand out track from the record, “The Way You Say It”