’00s alt-rock revamped on Pretty Bitter’s Pleaser. 

Pretty Bitter leans heavily into their alternative antecedents in their new album, Pleaser. With heavy drums and bold guitar solos, it’s not hard to conclude where the band sought inspiration.

Songs like “Thrill Eater” and “Tommy Deluxe Goes Hollywood” have Hayley Williams-esque vocals, guttural and raspy. Yet, Pretty Bitter puts their own spin on things by introducing a twangy guitar that shifts into an electric sound in both songs. 

The fearless drums present on each song are reminiscent of older Radiohead and Muse albums, especially in “Bodies Under The Rose Garden,” a song that uses the symbolism of gardening to represent a painful upbringing. This song is a true standout compared to the other tracks, one that introduces a more technological production and sticks so loyally to its metaphors that listeners can bend their interpretations to better fit their own circumstances. 

Lyrically, the album oscillates between innovation and confusion. On the aforementioned “Tommy Deluxe Goes Hollywood,” the final pre-chorus asks, “Is it self-induced psychosis / when we promise we’ll be more than this / or anything at all.” This philosophical question shows the band’s lyrical prowess and leaves attentive listeners pondering for much longer than the 3:07 runtime.

Yet, other songs on the album can lean too heavily into metaphor, resulting in disorientation when it’s clear the band was hoping for awe. “Hope You Do” falls victim to this in its first verse. The song starts with an imaginative scenario about the difficulty that comes with wishing a happy birthday to someone no longer in your life. But, following that with “Still there is a day in March and in / September / and sometimes even May when I’m fighting / the urge to say hello,” makes the song feel overstuffed, almost as if one can sense the band’s lyrical indecision.

Still, this mild confusion is no match for the album’s amazing production and composition. On the same song, Pretty Bitter layers vocals in a beautiful harmony, one much softer than the rest on the album. Giving a welcome break right after the midway point of the album rounds out the performance overall.

Upon first listen, if it’s not heard with an open mind, Pleaser might feel repetitive or like it exists only in the shadow of the band’s predecessors. For longstanding fans of Pretty Bitter, the album might be a surprise pivot from their prior work – but, Pleaser is a strong album, especially as a standalone creation, with fresh creativity sprinkled amongst tried-and-true musical methods.