The Pretty Reckless – ‘Dear God’ album review: Sexy, sentimental stadium rock
The Pretty Reckless backed their fifth studio album, Dear God, before fans got the chance to hear more than a single song. Alongside the album announcement came word of a huge, worldwide arena tour. Now, with Dear God all but out in the world, it’s not hard to see why: With a smirk, Dear God presents a collection of sexy, sentimental, sure-footed stadium rock anthems.
The Skinny: Save for a jovial holiday EP, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, released last year, we’ve not heard much from the iconic rock band since 2021’s divisive Death by Rock and Roll, which was quickly followed up by 2022’s acoustic compilation album, Other Worlds. For a band that appears to have stewed for some while on what to say next, The Pretty Reckless have certainly not lost any of the energy of their former glory days.
On Dear God, Momsen and guitarist Ben Phillips, drummer Jamie Perkins, and bassist Matt Damon attack love, loss, and life with intense vulnerability, scaling things back to a confessional, diaristic songwriting approach. Given the fact that the band are breaking records – having recently become the first female-fronted band to have five singles reach the top of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart – it’s admirable that New Yorkers are stretching themselves into territory that mightn’t be as instantly rewarding.
And, for the most part, it pays off. Dear God‘s most rambunctious, resplendent moments are in the first half of the album: take ‘When I Wake Up’, a no-fucks anthem with Momsen’s fiery personality lighting up the verse, followed by the nonchalant cool-girl prowl reminiscent of Wet Leg’s Rhian Tisdale, or the breakneck guitar riffs of Foo Fighters’ glory days. Followed up by the heartbreaking, fist-thumping rock ballad ‘Love Me’, The Pretty Reckless are at their zenith.
Almost unsurprisingly, Dear God just can’t quite keep this zeal going. While tracks like ‘About You’ and ‘Spell On You’ do well to explore the depths of the vampiric darkness the band have always embodied, ‘Rollercoaster of Life’ struggles in formulaic backing and on-the-nose rhyming.
In a similar fashion, ‘Eye Of The Storm’ makes its landing with a stumble, as Momsen questions the selfishness of our society. “We’re all on this planet, I don’t understand it,” she sings, convincingly but with little nuance. Turning to her own suffering, Momsen’s vocal and lyrical performance gains more confidence.
As such, Momsen leads the band best in their new age of vulnerability when she leans into the loss she has suffered: famously, the band were on tour with Soundgarden in 2017 when frontman Chris Cornell passed away from suicide. Not a year later, Momsen’s best friend and record producer, Kato Khandwala, was killed in a motorcycle accident.
On Dear God, ‘Devil In Disguise (Michelle’s Song)’ appears to reference Momsen’s late Gossip Girl co-star, Michelle Trachtenberg, who died in 2025; through a softer, folkier approach, Momsen proves that great loss might change your path, but the view sure is beautiful.
In a world overflowing with sub-30-minute albums, Dear God totals much closer to the hour mark. The Pretty Reckless’ dedication to fine-tuned world-building and to creating an album that feels like an album is a testament to their artistry. However, in this instance, the run-time has the opposite effect on the overall release, stalling the effect of Momsen’s undeniably delicious vocals. As a result, the entire thing feels bottom-heavy, like a decadent cream has been out in the sun for too long and has curdled into a kind of thick jelly.
Standout Track: ‘When I Wake Up’
The Verdict: On Dear God, The Pretty Reckless face the dark days with admirable honesty, breakneck riffs, and unmistakable power-house vocals… While both the sexy and the sentimental moments soar, the album suffers from an over-bloated runtime and a quiet paranoia that they must have something new and totalising to say – Momsen is ever closer to learning that honesty is always enough.
Release Date: June 26th, 2026 | Producer: Jonathan Wyman, Taylor Momsen, and Ben Phillips | Label: Fearless Records
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