Five years is a long time. When The Pretty Reckless dropped Death By Rock And Roll in 2021, it felt like a band finding their footing again. Dear God, their fifth album, shows they’ve done more than that.
This isn’t a safe follow-up. Taylor Momsen and the band go darker here — heavier on the existential weight, lighter on the polish. The album runs 14 tracks and just over 50 minutes, and it earns every minute. Death, temptation, redemption, the pull toward self-destruction — it’s all here, and none of it is wrapped up neatly. That’s the point.
The guitars are the backbone, and they’re excellent. Momsen’s voice does the rest. She sounds locked in — raw where it needs to be raw, controlled where it needs to be controlled. The band as a whole sounds tighter than they have in years.
The lead single “When I Wake Up” is the most immediate thing on the record — thrashy, direct, clearly influenced by ’90s rock. Stone Temple Pilots and Red Hot Chili Peppers come to mind. “Dark Days” is the other end of the spectrum: slower, quieter, and harder to shake.
The production doesn’t get in the way. It serves the songs, and that’s exactly what it should do.
Dear God is the best thing The Pretty Reckless have made. It’s heavy, honest, and built to last.
