Single Review: The Preatures – ‘Better Than It Ever Could Be’
2 min readThe Preatures found themselves in the privileged yet precarious position of having to follow up one of the biggest songs of last year. Is This How You Feel was an international hit for the five shooting stars from Sydney, Australia, garnering praise from big hitters like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and NME. It put them on the map in a big way, earning them a record deal with Capitol Records/Harvest in the US, a gig partaking in the prestigious CMJ Music Marathon in New York, as well as landing them a fat sack of cash in taking out the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition for 2013. They could have cut and run, but the Preatures returned to the studio and have more than managed to back up the hype.
The prophetically titled Better Than It Ever Could Be is chock-full of their blend of pop, soul, groove and rock and roll. The 70’s-vibing bass-led romp boasts a chorus as contagious as their breakout single, and is given equal thrust by lead singer Isabella’s sexy brassy vocals, allowing the feminine energy to take over. The twangy, often washed-out guitars are reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, fusing classic rock songwriting with new vigour and raw, infectious delivery.
It’s safe to say that it’s going to be a huge year for The Preatures. This release appears to be the first cut off a debut full length album, to be released somewhere amongst their headline tour of Europe and the UK as well as featuring amongst the epic Coachella bill. The Preatures’ congregation is already growing at a rate of knots, and if this is a sign of things to come, all will be anxiously awaiting their next sermon.