These Are Some Attractive Gravediggers

Named after a song by The Smiths, Pretty Girls Make Graves – made up of veterans of the Seattle music scene – are digging themselves a niche in rock n’ roll. Their talent can be heard on the release The New Romance.Romance is another one of those genre-crossers we have been bombarded with in recent months, but has a different feel. It is rock, yes, but includes a splash of electro-clash, as in the 48 second “Mr. Club,” an unlikely yet appropriate intro to “All Medicated Geniuses,” which sounds punk-ish with its screaming vocals. “Blue Lights” pulls the reigns in a bit with an eerily mellow song about a neurotic shut-in, then lets loose again with “Chemical, Chemical.” Riot grrl pokes out its head as well with Andrea Zollo’s powerful vocals; yet Zollo isn’t limited as she croons, cries, and shouts her way through the album. “This Is Our Emergency” is the anthem; a cry to listeners to band together, forget social standards, and “Shout out so [they] can hear you.”

Overall The New Romance has the feeling of a band more focused on their craft than the politics of having a front-woman. PGMG stresses equal collaboration, as the songs show with emphasis behind every aspect of the music, rather than strength in just one area. The result is a powerfully moving work that will be a frequent listen.