The Pretty Reckless are forever haunted by the fact that their front woman is Taylor Momsen (of Gossip Girl and The Grinch, among other things). Their debut album was relatively well received but was also followed by constant reminders of who the vocalist was, and was not helped by her slightly cringeworthy attempts at being ‘edgy’ or ‘controversial’.

This is even shown from the start of ‘Going To Hell’, which opens with sex noises and Momsen whispering “don’t bless me father for I have sinned”  and it seems that the band are still trying a little bit too hard.  The question is, do they deserve to have criticism based on things other than their music constantly following them, or do they deserve their place in the music scene? The sophomore album was always going to be a make or break moment for the band.

The album starts on a high with Follow Me Down,  a super catchy (although maybe slightly basic)  riff and impressive vocals, the rhythm of this song makes it particularly enjoyable. This album sees the New Yorkers try some new things, and Ben Philips gets to share the vocals more, as is seen in Sweet Things. A softer side of the band is also explored in Dear Sister, which acts as a sort of short interlude and  really emphasises Momsen’s unique voice. There’s also some more pop, catchy sides to this album, such as Heaven Knows which is saturated with gang vocals.

To be honest, if the band weren’t trying so unbelievably hard to be rebellious and scandalous (through their lyrics, their image and their actions), it wouldn’t verge on embarrassing and would actually be a pretty decent album. It has its faults, but there are also a lot of very enjoyable parts to the album that show that the band deserve to be around.  ‘Going To Hell’ deserves to be listened to with an open mind, there are definitely people who will like it, even if they don’t want to; so despite everything that surrounds the band, if they were given a clear slate, they would probably appeal to more people.