Cartridge B-Sides evokes a nostalgic feeling on stellar debut, "Pretty Ugly"
Mixing the old with the modern on what we’re now considering a sensational debut album, Cartridge B-Sides has excelled immensely on Pretty Ugly. Keep reading for a closer look into the record, in addition to a background on this emerging artist.
Taking influences from early 2000’s indie rock staples like The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, and many more, the project of Cartridge B-Sides has still managed to create something uniquely vibrant and ultimately catchy on his debut album, Pretty Ugly. Jam-packed with nostalgic elements and soaring melodies, we instantly loved every moment from the first riff on “gimme a chance” to the final notes. If you’ve yet to get into this artist’s music, let this be the reason to do so, this record is downright fantastic.
Through our initial listen of Pretty Ugly, sincerely we felt like we entered a time machine that took us back 20 years ago to one of our favorite eras of music. Immediately you’re hit in the face that eerily similar Strokes guitar tone, but as the record goes on and opens up, Cartridge B-Sides introduces infinitely more unique instrumental passages that just hit perfectly. Considering that this period of music we’d consider to be our favorite, that comes with a slightly harder “judging” of what feels original compared to recycled material. With that being said though, let us confidently claim right now that while the inspirations are certainly present, this album feels like a completely new take of a moment in music that we hold so dearly.
We could compliment the instrumentals all day long, that’s for sure, but lyrically speaking there’s also a ton of personality infused here. Through distorted and semi-dreamy vocals, Cartridge B-Sides takes you on a personal journey through his life, specific situations, and a lot of those classic “what if” situations. It gives the listener the opportunity to ponder the big questions in a way that evokes tons of artistic beauty in the process. At 12 songs that span right around 30 minutes in length, it’s hard to deny that Pretty Ugly feels like a time capsule that we’ll 100% be revisiting in moments that we yearn for the past. Specific tracks like “Million Thoughts”, “Posers”, and “Whatchu Want” were our personal favorites, but honestly this album flows effortlessly from start to finish. Hit the play button at the beginning and don’t look back!
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