Kid 606 has once again maintained his distance from glitchy cut-up breakcore that so many still assume he still records and has come out with fantastic results. Unlike last year's subdued, melody-heavy Resilience, Pretty Girls is a brilliant 4/4 techno homage, both worthy of the tireless movement from a sweaty night club and a perfectly blastable summertime album.
This album is no accident, as Kid 606 even provides the BPMs on the back sleeve for all the DJs and wanna-be DJs of the world, keeping most of the eight songs around the 120-130 range. Additionally, 606 makes 909 and 303 sounds work for their supper, using the classic handclap sounds, bass kicks, and snappy snare. ADHD sufferer fans be warned: if there's one thing that separates this from his early albums is that he's exploiting themes and keeping them consistent through the entirety of the tracks instead of changing his mind continuously after a few measures.
After an engaging opening, "Let It Rock," "Chickenfight" stakes its claim as a dancefloor smash. Clocking in just over eight and half minutes, its usage of a steady pulse, sonic reverb, and electro rim shots are powerful enough to woo any Bpitch fan. The tweaked bassline makes it sexy and the party chant samples makes it human. "Boomin'" is the ultimate dancefloor stomp with a relentless bass kick. Here's where some sung vocals come into the picture, continuing through the following "Meet Me at the Bottom," and later "T.Y.T.R.," both with vocals distorted and raw enough to be something that DFA fans would eat up in an instant. "Comeuppance," on the other hand, with its steady beat and chopped up vocals is the sound the Chemical Brothers could have had if they didn't keep getting worse over the years following their second album.
The album concludes with the downtempo "Oakland Highsiding," which isn't quiet by any means, incorporating a swaying dub influenced beat infected, with plenty of echo, viral 303 acid sounds, and funky guitar samples. My only complaint is that at 4 minutes, it's about three times too short. There is something to be said for brevity, however, as 43+ minutes seems short enough to allow endless looping until each of the eight songs are memorized. If I ever make it to the beach again this year I know Pretty Girls Make Raves will be a prime candidate for the slow drives around town with the windows down low.
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