Pretty Vicious are one of the most hyped bands in British music at the moment. Four teenagers from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, they are Elliot Jones, Jarvis Morgan, Brad Griffiths & Tom McCarthy. They play snarling, riotous punk rock 'n' roll, with the kind of urgency and boyish swagger you probably haven't seen since The Arctic Monkeys burst on to the scene in 2003.
Are You Ready For Me will be Pretty Vicious' next release. It's a machine-gun-guitar anthem, modelled on the kind of straightforward punk rock popularised by bands like The Stooges & The Ramones, but brought in to the modern age with bristling, youthful aggression.
What immediately stands out is lead singer Brad Griffiths' wholly convincing vocal; despite his tender age Griffiths manages to sound as though he's been gargling a mix of whiskey and gravel every morning for the last 20 years as he snarls his way through verse and chorus. The frenetic guitarwork sounds a little like early Whitestripes and whilst the band create a pretty heavy sound, it's not without melody and hooks. The overall effect is a track which sounds like it could have been written by the lovechild of Nirvana and (early) Kings of Leon.
At only 17, drummer Elliot Jones probably struggles to get in to some of the band's own gigs, but it doesn't stop him laying down a solid beat. Jones is the youngest member of the band, but none of them are out of their teens, which makes their music even more impressive. You have to wonder if the level of attention they're receiving at this early stage in their career will be beneficial in the long run, but right now Pretty Vicious are a band on fire, and whether you're ready for them or not, they're coming.
Are You Ready For Me is out January 15th on Virgin EMI.
