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Album Details

• Artist: Pretty Girls Make Graves
• Album: The New Romance
• Label: Matador
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2003-12-05

Good Health was one of my favorite albums last year so I have been anticipating The New Romance, the new Pretty Girls Make Graves album for a few months now. I must say that upon first listen, The New Romance doesn't quite grab you the same way that Good Health does. Let's take both album's opening tracks. Good Health had it's "Speakers Push The Air", a song that immediately told you that this was a band to watch out for. I'm assuming that Pretty Girls Make Graves must feel fairly confident with glowing praises of their last album as well as sporting a new Matador contract. "Something Bigger, Something Better" is the way they chose to begin their new album. It's a much gentler song that is technically able but quieter all the same. Even the next track, "The Grandmother Wolf" is fairly subdued. There really is nothing that equals "Speakers" so I started looking at The New Romance under a different microscope, as you sometimes have to do with bands changing directions. The melodies on tracks like "The Teeth Collector" really need to be praised. Guitars are bouncing off of each speaker, each one ringing a very fine melody. Andrea Zollo is taking care of pretty much all the vocals this time around, which really works. But if you are expecting the strong male vocals, it can be a bit of a disappointment. The band is willing to move and change with the times. This is a completely different album, so don't do as I did expecting a bigger and better Good Health. It is a change but change, in most cases, is good.

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