The Pretty Reckless are Joined by Soundgarden Members Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil in New Video for “Only Love Can Save Me Now”

New York rock band The Pretty Reckless shared a new music video for their track “Only Love Can Save Me Now,” which features Soundgarden’s guitarist Kim Thayil and drummer Matt Cameron. It’s one of the songs off of their February 2021 record Death By Rock and Roll.

The video shows frontwoman Taylor Momsen singing in a room flooded with water, with ‘rain’ falling from the ceiling of the set at some parts. Thayil, Cameron and glimpses of the other Pretty Reckless members can also be seen playing in the room, although without the rain. Storm imagery is projected on the walls around all of them, with large waves crashing and lightning cracking. 

The Soundgarden members’ contributions notably make the song sound texturally like Momsen is featuring on a Soundgarden song, rather than the other way around, but the anthemic nature of the track and its highly catchy chorus make it clear that Momsen remains in charge. The first verse begins with the line “Heaven’s falling out of the sky,” which fits the visuals smoothly, and then for the rest of the song, Momsen sings about needing love to save her from a sea of sadness.

The Pretty Reckless were on tour with Soundgarden at the time of Chris Cornell’s suicide, whose loss is heavily felt. Momsen covered Cornell’s song “The Keeper” last August, and appeared on cover of Soundgarden’s “Halfway There” during the rest of the band’s tribute show for Cornell last May. Less than a year following his passing, The Pretty Reckless’ longtime producer Kato Khandwala died in a motorcycle accident. Between those two major tragedies and some additional heartaches, Momsen, Thayil and Cameron had much to grieve about. The rest of the record deals with that sorrow as well.

Death By Rock and Roll is The Pretty Reckless’ fourth album, following 2016’s Who You Selling For and their first two records, Going to Hell (2014) and Light Me Up (2010). Momsen was joined by guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Matt Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins in 2010, who have all stuck with her since then.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat