When paying homage to a particular sound or musical influence, it can be easy to fall into quite a few pitfalls. You can lean too much into the inspirations and sound like a rip-off, lose your own individual sound or even become stagnant before experiencing any real growth as a band or musician. For Petty Human Emotions, however, these are clearly not problems. With their self-titled album this band shows that they not only fit in with their musical inspirations but make it their own.
“Something New” is the first track. The acoustic guitar strums with a purpose amidst the windchimes of the intro, making way for the soft, contemplative vocals. The combination creates a contemplative and somewhat somber atmosphere with an entrancing, swaying quality. The track becomes more intense around the halfway point, when the instrumentals become overpowering and the emotion takes a huge swing. Lines such as “let us forget what it meant and now I’ll hate you, till the end” and “I’ll replace you with a new friend” following shortly after gives the track a bittersweet personality that can be felt in the ending refrain. While the outro of “Something New” is packed with adrenaline to set off the next track “I Want,” the melancholy mood of “Something New” will still linger after a listen.
“I Want” kicks off with the classic drumstick countdown at the end of the last track. When the guitars rev up and the drums kick the track into full swing, you’ll be instantly swept up into its familiar alt rock vibes. “I Want” has a ton of riffs, grooves and percussion-fueled beats that can grab your attention and lead you throughout the entire track. The vocals are powerful with a subdued quality that gives it a feeling that they can be lost within the instrumentals of the track, but the performance proves to be another quality a listener can easily latch onto. With alluring qualities such as a subtly complex bassline, drums that lay a beat to move your head to or the alluring vocals, “I Want” is a stand-out track that any alt rock will appreciate.
“Sorry” instantly creates a slow, contemplative mood. The distortion of the guitars add a sense of melancholy to the instrumentals, especially when combined with the vocal performance of James Nardiello. The raspy vocal notes are packed full of emotion, especially in lines such as “I know that everything I’m missing is something I once had, but I didn’t understand” that hit hard when combined with the deep, harsh piano keys that subtly add to the emotional impact of the track. The low guitar plucks also add to this emotional impact when they aren’t crying with distortion. “Sorry” is an instantly memorable track and one that will stick with you after just one listen “Moonbird” after it continues this contemplative mood, with waves complementing the sounds of crashing waves on the beach while an elegant piano plays.
The soft guitars accompany the vocals that ease you into “Untitled” before the instrumentals hit the track square in the jaw and it starts to rock out. The guitars are memorable right from the top, especially when they hit the same beats as the vocal and drums when Nardiello sings “I just can’t wait to tell ya how I feel.” This isn’t the only time the drums stand out in the track, either, as they hit every memorable beat as the guitars, even during the solo. Nardiello also explodes with power in this track when he cries “and I’m crazy to think of anybody but yourself but you’re never gonna have to know!” As a setup to the guitar solo, this explosion of power ripples throughout the rest of the track and instantly immerses you in the rage and power behind the track, making “Untitled” one that you’ll never skip when it comes up on your playlist.
Petty Human Emotions’ self-titled release is one that any rock fan shouldn’t miss. The inspirations of old-school grunge and alt rock can be heard in each track while still feeling fresh with subtle musical surprises sprinkled in each one. Memorable guitar riffs and melodies, percussions with a pulse and well-placed piano keys that add the perfect dash of personality to each track and gives the whole thing a good flow from track to track. The vocals of James Nardiello are no slouch either and will often surprise the listener with bursts of power that always fuels the mood of the track. With an excellent freshman showing, Petty Human Emotions has released an album packed with tracks that are sure to make it onto the playlist of any rock fan.
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