A Massive Rock Record from Pretty Late
- BuzzSlayers
- Feb 15
- 7 min read
I have to say, it's been quite some time since I heard a record that was able to blend alternative rock, grunge, folk rock, and indie rock, all together on one album. When I came across the Better Late Than Never record from Pretty Late, not only did I find they pull it off without a hitch, but the record also boasts a massive amount of character which is something I found myself getting attached to throughout its unfolding.
This is a record that's not afraid to get heavy when it wants to. A lot of the songs start off in a cleaner sense and move into more excitable, distorted tones that do indeed border on a grunge feel, but still have this almost southern soul that lurks just beneath the surface, making it really unique.
The very first track, "Guardrail" is a damn near perfect example of exactly that.
It's got this kind of '90s Pearl Jam style riff that it comes in with, and even the tones of the guitars and overall soundscape of the song feel like it was built along the lines of that aesthetic.
The guitar work here is beautifully done. Right at the beginning of the song you get this great progression and between the chords there's some awesome little riffs going on, giving it that soulful feel that reminds you of a blues rock style, and it feels sort of freeing.
You still have a bit of the grunge undertone, even when it's clean. I really enjoyed this, as I grew up with a lot of grunge and '90s rock, of course.
One of the other things that sticks out to me about this record is that it's got this almost live performance and style energy to it. It almost feels like the band recorded a lot of the record live on the floor, and everyone was feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.
You just have this natural feeling of synergistic flow that happens throughout the entire record.
The vocalist comes in and adds even more soul to everything. She's got an amazing voice that just happens to have this great tone and smoothness to it, and she performs with heart.
The track also starts giving you some really detailed lyrics. They're a little bit metaphoric, but you get the point. She opens up a bit and lets you in, which was very refreshing as well.
I feel like this track was an amazing one to introduce the album with because you're getting some of the great staples that you'll hear throughout the entire record.
Having said that, this is an album I would suggest listening to all the way through from beginning to end. It definitely packs some great surprises around its corners, slightly experimental approaches at times, and the songs are kind of personal. They have a way of interconnecting with each other.
I don't really feel like it's a concept album necessarily, but the songs are like diary entries or chapters in a book. You wouldn't skip chapters in a book, so I wouldn't suggest skipping songs on this record either.
"Lonely" is a song that definitely portrays some personal attributes and is performed by a male singer this time. So, as you start going through the record, you start realizing that there is blues and classic rock-infused, along with plenty more; they bring in different vocalists for tracks to accentuate the various styles of songwriting.
I love the chorus on this track because it's super memorable, and the whole song is completely relatable lyrically.
Songs like "Deceiver" also give some great detail. You really get pulled into how everything is put together and articulated in terms of those lyrics.
This song was cool also because it felt almost like an Americana rock style song. That southern undertone that I mentioned earlier is pretty heavy-handed on this one.
The guitars aren't super heavy, but they're not totally clean either. They have a little bit of dirtiness or fuzz tone to them, and it gives the song a great tonality.
"Wonder Woman" has beautiful vocals to it, still keeping that kind of dirty fuzz tone feel. It's a little bit slower paced, but it's got a ballad style to it, in a sense. You hear both vocalists on this one, but the female vocalist is at the forefront a bit more. The male vocalist does some great harmonies in the background and gives depth to the songs by adding some layers.
You also get a sense of a garage rock tonality. It's not something you pick up on in the first few tracks, but after that, you start realizing that perhaps garage rock is one of the influences the band holds close to their heart.
This certainly feels like the kind of project and band that utilizes influence from each individual player to create something kind of unique.
They are not reinventing the wheel, but they're giving things their own spin and personality, as they created an atmosphere that is all their own.
The closing track, "View from Here", does exactly what the opening track did. It gives you a sort of wrap-up of the entire soundscape by giving you all of those styles in one track. It has the garage rock tonality, into the grunge heaviness, but is never over the top, and there is a sort of elegance to it that is a bit infectious.
This is a record that really serves as a great escape. It pulls you away from wherever you are and whatever you're doing and puts you in a different place for a little chunk of time, and I love that.
This was a great showcasing of how the band was able to utilize guitar tones and textures, layering, and soul, pouring their hearts out and really giving this record a liveliness.
It was an amazing combination of honesty, vulnerability, character, and a bit of edginess.
Let's not forget about that soul because that's really important as well. It's got loads of soul all over it.
Upon listening to the record, I realized I wanted to have a sit-down with the band to find out exactly where this record came from and what might be coming up next for them.
So, while you listen to the record, have a read through of the interview with Pretty Late below.
Don't forget what you heard it first.
Let's talk about Better Late Than Never! This album hit alt and indie rock with hints of punk at times but also a record boasting great Americana undertone with southern aesthetics! Where did this record come from?
So Better Late than Never, was kind of a collection of Songs that I wrote in my early 20's when I first met Rob Sacchetti. He came from a band called urban resilience, and his talent was undeniably great. He helped me get to a point where I could channel my raw emotion I lento chords and words, in way so I flesh out these songs. Really these songs were just written in my back yard with a couple brews and two acoustic guitars
I'm hearing a few different approaches to this release! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
This whole album was really about finding our sound and identifying what type music we wanted to make. We tried all types of things and we just expressed ourselves and wrote about experiences and the melodies were just tools to convey them. We really didn't listen to Anybody at the time when it came to writing because we really weren't trying to emulate anybody. We listened to a lot of sublime, city and color, Brand New, and all types of middle classic era stuff.
Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
We recorded this at ugly ducks studios during the pandemic, and it was a really tough time trying to transitions from operating off instinct, to playing so uniform.
How did this all start for you as a band?
This band really started after my dad died and I needed a way to cope, so when I met Rob we had musical chemistry that goes doesn't go unnoticed. In 2019 we really fleshed out the full line up with my fiance taking over lead vocals and and an old college buddy jumping on bass.
Do you guys have one main songwriter or do you write songs together?
I (Mike Kneeland) would be considered the man contributing when it comes to songwriting but Rob is an amazing songwriter and everyone else writes there parts but the skeletons come from my closet.
Are you performing live right now? Any shows or touring in support of the release?
We have so live set tapings in the works, me and christine are planning our wedding. Finalizing a Jam in the Van sessions and a few other Live tapings this year, the next show we play for a live audience will be back in our hometown, and we will be releasing a New Ep, and rolling out singles after that.
Now that this is out, what's next for you?
Christine is wrapping up Nursing school, and we are smoothing some edges out on our New Ep HIATUS. March 1st, we have our first session with Snakebrook records out of Natick Ma. So we are really excited about that, and can't wait to share that with our fans.
What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
Before people listen to Better Late than Never most of the time they don't expect it to be what it is. That being a good record that showcases the potential this group has, and what we can offer to the industry as a whole.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
Lastly I would like to thank anyone who has ever supported us, I thank you for being patient. It's her 5 years since we've released any music and HIATUS our next release will really explain it all. I'm really excited for the next stuff and we are transforming into something can't be overlooked. We appreciate all of you and I can't wait to share what we have cocked up.
Comments