Rating: ***1/2
The Twelve AM are a fairly new band out of Connecticut, having only formed last year.
The amount of time they've been together as a group seemed to not affect their ability to write and kick out a 10-song album called "Pretty Noise" that promises to sound a bit like "Motorhead played power pop song". Color me interested.
I love power pop and I love metal so this seems to sound like it might be right up my alley.
I'm gonna smoke some mid-grade pot and give it a whirl. You can and should join me by clicking the link below.
Click here to listen to "Pretty Noise" in it's entirety on Spotify:
"Punk Drunk" starts us off and it kinda sounds like Phantom Planet. I'm into it. It def has an early 00's vibe but I dig it. Makes me nostalgic. "Run With the Bulls" is the second track and it has a cool little bassline and more of a ska energy to it. The vocals are more of a Gin Blossoms affair though. Solid track. "Elope" grooves a bit more than the first two tracks. They have a strong pop appeal, while still riffing hard and mixing in the jangly guitars. "Almost Gone" sounds like it could be a hit on college radio. Really catchy with a strong chorus to boot. "Lipstick Red" continues the string of solid power pop. So far this sounds great, even if it's not revolutionary in the least. It truly is "pretty noise". "Guitar Boys" changes things up a bit and almost begins with a bluegrass feel. I'm not sure if this works or not. It's an interesting sound for them though. "Heart Beats" is next and it's impossible to not like it. Just pure pop hooks all over this one. "New Girl" is a raucous rocker and "Empty" is a slower tempo ballad. Neither of them stand out, but are both good album tracks. The record ends with "My Autumn" and it's a really strong finale. It actually might be my favorite track on the album.
All-in-all this was a very good rock record. Plenty of excellent tracks and even the ones that didn't blow my mind were rock solid. I recommend this to any fans of hard rock that has pop roots.