More like, "The Taylor Momsen Band"

(from left to right: Mark Damon, Taylor Momsen, Ben Phillips, Jamie Perkins)

The Pretty Reckless EP was released on June 21st in Canada with 3 tracks: "Make Me Wanna Die", "My Medicine", and "Goin’ Down, and Light Me Up is scheduled for an end of August release. Momsen's voice is still a little light and she’s angsty as hell, but she has years to come. (Given that she doesn’t drive her supporting band nuts, which is a valid possibility.)

Before hearing the mashup/cover of “Islands” and “Love The Way You Lie”, I passed over The Pretty Reckless as a female-fronted band along the lines of Paramore and Metric. “Make Me Wanna Die” was pretty catchy, but I kept thinking of the line in Silversun Pickup’s “The Royal We”: how many times do you wanna die? While she gained fans for covering Rihanna, I found the other half of the song much better.

The second thing I realized about The Pretty Reckless was that Momsen is a Gossip Girl (no, I don't watch that show) actor. That was a big turn-off, but I couldn’t deny the potential in the band. I’d been looking for some decent non-metal female vocalists, and at the age of 17; she’s better at being Avril Lavigne than Avril Lavigne, much better than all the other girl rock bands. She performs well, too.

Taylor Momsen is not pop rock. Taylor Momsen is accompanying straight rock.

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