Single Review: Nicotine Pretty – Real Life Glories EP

Ever hear a record and straight away have an idea what the band smell like? Well, this is one of them. Nicotine Pretty smell of whiskey, roll-ups and the lingering electric traces of guitar amps that have been driven to the max and beyond. Probably. Real Life Glories is the sonic manifestation of that terrible cliché ‘keeping it real’ – it’s straight-ahead, balls-out rock ‘n roll that’s jam-packed full of blistering power pop hooks and singalong choruses that should put a smile on the most curmudgeonly of faces.

Six tracks of joyous, confident heavy-duty rock n roll, and every single one a winner. From the opening riff of Bygone Boy to the standout track, closer Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?, this is a storming album that achieves that most difficult of musical tricks: there’s no ambiguity in its musical pedigree and influences, but it’s also brutally fresh and vital. Imagine Steve Jones joining Cheap Trick in a beer-sodden cellar and raising the roof for 20 minutes and you’re getting somewhere close to the Nicotine Pretty way of doing things. But that’s not to say this is generic or obvious stuff. This band have taken the very best of those elements and made them better. And a lot more fun. You can only begin to imagine how exhilarating this would be to see live.

The perfect musical shot across of the bows of the Cowell Why? Factor hegemony. Powerfully musical with a perfect ear for a hook (it’s no surprise The Wildhearts are big fans), Nicotine Pretty do what they like and they clearly like what they bloody well do. And they do it well. Music for bars not stadiums, maybe, but if Real Life Glories doesn’t raise you up, you’re probably beyond redemption already anyway.

Real Life Glories is released on Glunk Records on 12^th October and can be pre-ordered here