There is a long, not always storied, history of actors and actresses who fancy themselves singers.  Sometimes it works out, more often it doesn't. 

The lead singer of The Pretty Reckless is Taylor Momsen, former model-turned-Gossip Girl star.  But if you're expecting some candy-ass bubble gum crap, emo-folk warbling or artsy pretentious noodling, look somewhere else.  The Pretty Reckless rock.  And they rock hard.

Momsen obviously has a pretty bitching record collection.  Her band recalls the Pretenders cross-pollinated with Hole with a sprinkling of the White Stripes.

Hit Me Like A Man, the quick follow-up to their breakthrough LP Light Me Up, is not exactly a bundle of new riches - only three new studio songs supplemented with live versions of two faves from the old album.  But what is here is pretty choice. 

Take for example, the snaky blues of "Cold Blooded," which is the only song in which Momsen shares lead vocals with a male vocalist (and in these days of downloads with no liner notes, despite a frenzied Google search, I can't find out if he is a band member or an outside vocalist brought in for the tune.).  However this album has a swampy, bluesy feel that was only touched on a bit on the full-length, and the band wears it well.  

"Under the Water" also takes the band in a different direction, it starts as a softer, folk-tinged ballad before exploding into a harder wall of sound.

The live performances of "Make Me Wanna Die" and "Since You're Gone" were recorded last November in London, and while they don't improve on the original versions, they are a nice bonus for fans.

Hit Me Like A Man EP is obviously a stop-gap until the next album, but as stop-gaps go, it's pretty damned tight.

Jay S.  Jacobs