Utah based post-hardcore quartet The Used blast back onto our airwaves with new single Pretty Handsome Awkward. The song begins with dumbed down fuzzy guitars and simple echoing drum beats sounding like early Rage Against the Machine offerings such as Freedom (from their self-titled debut album). The song quickly thrashes into a full-on assault with heavy rhythmic guitars and drums alongside melodic vocals which are even more catchy than hospital bacterial ‘superbug’ MRSA.
Pretty Handsome Awkward debuted at number five in the US charts and has been hailed as their best work to date. The single definitely marks a new, more accessible direction for the band with the polished sound easily making them eligible for mainstream radio play. The screamo vocals, reminiscent of Lostprophet Ian Watkins, and the waves of euphonious sound which wash over you, will translate well to such an environment. The entirety of the song is made up of one long chorus so there’ll no doubt be people picking up the lyrics sharpish and humming along to the tune with enthusiasm.
The inclusion of repeated anthemic chants of "yeah" towards its ending seals the sure-fire-hit-status deal. This is one the fans may not be so fond of due to the more mainstream positioning of the song. However, for everyone else, it’s a cheeky little rockin’ treat.
Label: Reprise
Release: 03.09.2007
Live date: 28.11.2007 Brixton Academy, London
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