For us, Death by Rock and Roll was one of 2021’s top albums. Easily top ten for several of us at Bring The Noise UK and 18-months later it is still on heavy rotation on our turntable and in our headphones. So when The Pretty Reckless dropped a brand new mini-album packed with covers, acoustic versions and remixes of some of our favourite songs on Death by Rock and Roll, we were already sold.
For fans of Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless, the new mini-album Other Worlds hits all the right notes but it’s probably a bit of a niche release and only for the hardcore Reckless lovers.
The record opens with a re-imagining of Got so High, which was on last year’s full-length, but this new version has been slowed down with Momsen unleashing her full emotional weight to a song which is even more haunting than the original.
Momsen’s love for the late, great Chris Cornell is well documented, with TPR opening for Soundgarden on their final performance before his sad death and, on this record, she pays homage to her hero with a cover of Loud Love.
Another couple of covers sees the band turn their musical hands to David Bowie’s Quicksand and (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding by Elvis Costello.
Much of the mini-record is new versions and remixes of the big hitters from Death by Rock and Roll, as 25, Death by Rock And Roll, and another version of Got So High get new treatments.
But the best track on offer is Harley Darling. Our favourite song on last year’s release, the new version is even more stripped-back, captivating and hits us deep in the feels, like a pair of size 10 steel toe caps at 100 mph.
It’s definitely a record for the diehards – acoustic reworks of existing songs bolted onto a handful of cover versions means it doesn’t flow as well as it could. But, the takes on their own the songs are superb and we are Team Reckless anyway, so it ticks all the musical boxes for us.
7/10
Standout Tracks: Got so High, Harley Darling, Loud Love
For Fans Of: Halestorm, New Years Day, Three Days Grace
Written by: Eric Mackinnon
