I suppose there comes a time in every critic’s career when he starts to champion artists that deserve to get more recognition, and maybe I’ve reached that point in my career as an amateur critic with The Preatures. I did after all write a lengthy piece about their stand-out single “Is This How You Feel?” back before it had even attached itself to a proper album. Well, now I’m here to tell you that said album has been out for a while now and it’s really good, even if it hasn’t garnered a ton of attention for this Australian outfit over in the States. However, I think this is mainly because Blue Planet Eyes hasn’t been physically released in the U.S., yet because it’s been released in Australia, it’s readily available on Spotify and iTunes. And now that I’m looking on Amazon, it appears its getting a proper U.S. release on December 19, which seems like a pretty crappy time to release an album considering its proximity to the onslaught of top 10 lists and the fact that this is not a very wintery album. But then again, this particular kind of music is always welcome, regardless of time or season.
In the piece I wrote about “How Do You Feel?” a while back, it appears I couldn’t help but compare The Preatures to Haim (who’s debut hadn’t even dropped yet), and I suppose it still feels appropriate to compare the two. The Preatures, much like Haim, have what I would describe as a “pure pop” sound, which is very much indebted to the pristine sounds of ’70s AM pop (and in particular Fleetwood Mac), yet there’s still something distinctly modern about their quest to reconfigure the past in their own image. The Preatures aren’t afraid to throw in a stray drum-machine or synth at the appropriate moment, while the interplay between guitar and keyboard has this richness that has just a little bit of darkness to it, but is always inviting enough to let you into The Preatures’ world of unending good times.
But really, this album just reminds me of how much I really like well-crafted pop music, even though it’s hard to find good pop music that isn’t pandering to 12-year-olds. Because I’m always up for some hooks. I mean who isn’t? But seriously folks, I’m not gonna listen to that god damn Taylor Swift album and then write a lengthy piece about how I feel about her because quite honestly I do not have an opinion on her, because anyone over the age of 20 does not need to have an opinion on music that is so utterly disposable. The Preatures on the other hand, have crafted a bunch of indelible hook-fests that are prime for munching on, and you don’t even have to feel like a dumb child for enjoying the shit out them. Or at least, that’s how I feel.
Favorite Tracks: “Is This How You Feel?”, “Cruel”, “It Gets Better”