“Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile”–Pretty Sick

Indie rock band Pretty Sick, fronted by singer Sabrina Fuentes, drops new album “Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile,” under producer Paul Q. Kolderie, who worked with huge bands like the Pixies, Hole, Radiohead, and Dinosaur Jr. This album is an excellent contribution to the growing indie music scene, featuring distorted bass on top of fitting drumlines with Fuentes’ soft yet angsty voice spilling out her emotions. The album starts out softer with “Yeah You,” but quickly transitions to a rougher, 90’s-esque punk vocals by the second song, “Drunk.” The band exhibits anti-authority themes throughout the album with lyrics like, “The freedom you’re being sold is just submission,” from the third song, “Human Condition.” Addiction is another big theme, with verses like “I’m staring at myself with dilated eyes,” and “This feels like love/This feels like angel dust,” referencing psychedelic drug PCP. In addition to her emotional lyrics, Fuentes also incorporates beautiful harmonies with multiple tracks of her voice laid on top of each other, creating an angelic sound. This inventive album sums up Pretty Sick’s signature sound, hitting the listener with a wave of grunge-era nostalgia, earning this album a 9/10.