I remember when everyone first began to rave about 'Kittie', young attractive women playing loud guitars and screaming, MTV lapped it up, rock stations across the country began to put them into rotation, they were suddenly very hot. I had a Kittie CD from about 6 months previous to this, a CD I had never got around to reviewing because quite simply they didn’t ring true to me. Kurt Loader may think they are groundbreaking and wonderfully, personally the sounds coming out of my CD player were clichéd and forced, but then the stuff I dislike always seems to get really, really big. Either I have no idea what I am talking about, or the musical world isn’t fair, take your pick, they are probably both true.
I was reminded of that when I picked up ‘The 161 EP’ from Wisconsin band ‘You’re Pretty’, unlike ‘Kittie’ they are neither all female or neo-metal. They do have a female singer though, and she is young, and she doesn’t mind screaming now and again. The big difference though is that this EP reeks of genuineness, it’s not a CD without flaws by any means, but it is a product from a band with a definite vision. Oh and there is a lot more talent on display here as well which helps a lot.
‘You’re Pretty’ comprise of Beth Musolff on vocals, Steve Kern on guitar, Chris Stenger on bass and Dave Keckeisen on drums. The three guys create an aggressive, spiraling, semi-industrial aural soundscape upon which Ms. Musolff can lay her varied vocals. She moves from breathless pretty little girl vocals to angry wounded animal protecting her young growls. A fairly wide spectrum for an EP that only just breaks the twenty-minute mark in its five-song existence.
‘You’re Pretty’ are actually best when they build in layers and keep themselves controlled, as they do on the EP’s stand out track ‘No More To Be Said’, than when they push the aggression and angst lever to the eleven mark. Still the variety helps to pull ‘You’re Pretty’ away from the pack, and they must be an exceptional live act.
Listening to and researching this band has brought back memories of all the angry Goth chicks I used to know way back when, during my misspent youth. Certainly it would be easy for a less adept vocalist and lyricist to fall into seeming like a guest character on the old SNL skit ‘Goth Talk’. The reason she doesn’t is that she has enough talent to look and sing the part without becoming a parody.
The singer is also fairly open in her admiration of Tori Amos and comparisons are easy to make. ‘You’re Pretty’ though are a band in the true sense. Although it will be Beth who gets most of the attention, and whose presence may well lead to a major label deal, it is as a band that they stand out, the music complimenting the tortured vocals perfectly.
If you are searching for something both angry and soothing, a CD that will make perfect background music for when you are mad, angry and pissed off (in other words your entire teenage life) then you could do a lot worse than this, yes you could listen to Alanis. Spare yourself that horror and check out this CD instead.

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