Elan Vital

The New Romance marked quite an achievement for Pretty Girls Make Graves, a most impressive leap from Good Health's notable punk to a strikingly more complex and focused sound on their second album. The problem, then, is what to expect next. Following their growth trajectory would seem nearly impossible, and really - would those expectations be justified? In this case predicting a classic third album would be just as fair as predicting a worse one, or even better, something altogether different. Personally, I wished for the band to continue exploring the sonic possibilities afforded by their remarkable musicianship. Take those angles, sharpen some and stretch others, work them around singer Andrea Zollo's compelling melodies. Unfortunately, in the interim guitarist Nathan Thelen left the band, rendering moot their incredibly effective and equally promising dual-axe approach. Perhaps this is why on Élan Vital the Pretty Girls sound different, though after listening it never seems they've gone anywhere. Urgency, that most riveting of muses and until now the band's calling card, is largely absent on this album, though not for lack of trying. Really, truly, I think it's the missing guitar. They brought in a keyboard, though it only seems to accomplish the opposite: establishing a groove where a ridge would fit much better. What results is interesting and often good, like mixing entirely different flavors discovering an edible outcome. But, as is often the case, they fare much better on their own. Take "Domino," which has the potential to make you move, with its electric piano-and-drum opening. Minutes later, ill-fitting guitar laserwork intrudes for an irrelevant solo. Much better is "Pictures of a Night Scene," a cool, dark number driven by thumping bass and well-implemented piano. It's unmistakably Pretty Girls, urgent and imminently listenable, but viewed from an entirely new angle. No virtuoso guitar and no soaring vocals, only that incessant drum, paranoid hi-hat tics and a skittering sax. Similarly impressive is "Parade,"an anthem making good use of new girl Leona Mars and an unforgettable melody. "We walked so far/ But we can't walk all night," they ring in unison, cutting directly to the listener's ear in a way distinctly Pretty Girls. The rest of the album? It's not hit-or-miss, but mostly a uniform, decent-good quality. I listen and enjoy, but feel compelled to gripe when the evidence for a more spectacular sound is so plain in the songs. I guess that's why I haven't lost a shred of faith in this band, that they'll come around strong and hit us with something amazing.

Pretty Girls Make Graves - Parade [mp3]

Pretty Girls Make Graves - Pictures of a Night Scene [mp3]

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