ALBUM REVIEW: Pleasure’s All Yours – Ultra Lights

Some albums are just made for a certain time, and ULTRA LIGHTS have released one that’s exactly what we need right now. A rough, catchy, indie rock record to stop you doomscrolling your way through a heatwave and remind you that life can be fun. It’s simple, but it’s effective.

For early-’00s indie rock fans, album opener and title track Pleasure’s All Yours is the equivalent of trying your favourite childhood treat and finding it still tastes just as good. Upbeat, catchy lyrics, rough, shouty high notes, and unrelenting drum beats included. And when the energetic vocals peter out into speak-singing, it’s all too tempting to go back for one more listen.

However, exploration beyond the first stop is highly recommended to get to gems like third on the tracklist, Bad Feeling. It’s a surprisingly easy one to find yourself tapping along to for a song that begins “It’s a pretty nice day for a kick in the face” before continuing down a pretty irate lyrical path from there.

This contradiction between tone and message continues on the next track, Wild On The Outside, which, despite the name, offers some calmer, smoother guitar riffs than the previous offerings, without losing momentum. It’s a change in pace that the band pull off well, and a welcome pitstop to prepare you for the aptly titled Nostalgia.

While the whole album feels like a step back to easier times, Nostalgia is a standout for evoking memories of grainy coming-of-age dramas rented from Blockbuster. In fairness, ULTRA LIGHTS do prepare you for this, with the earworm-ready chorus repeating “Watch out, here it comes.” This is a fun sound that the Atlanta rockers have nailed in a way that others might struggle to do, without sounding like a parody. However, it’s one that it’s easy to imagine becoming repetitive if overdone.

Much of Pleasure’s All Yours fits together without much abrasion. It’s a relatively easy indie rock listen from top to bottom; however, the album’s eighth track, Nightmares, sees the band dip their toe into a slightly punkier sound, with more abrasive vocals and a more aggressive, repetitive guitar riff. It’s a straightforward recipe for an energetic track that makes you want to thrash around in a sticky-floored venue, and one that’s sure to be electric live. Plus, it’s a sound it would be exciting to hear more of from ULTRA LIGHTS in the future. 

That’s not to say that the band need to move away from what they do best. Lyrically, the album hits a high with What’s Wrong. It’s a sardonic track that boasts lines like “I think I want to stay dumb” and “I get botox, on my balls”. These are lyrics that should feel deeply unserious, yet combined with their catchy, garage-rock guitar style, they still manage to create a track that packs a punch.

All in all, Pleasure’s All Yours is an album that can easily provide some tracks to your regular summer rotation. It’s a strong starting point from a band that we’ll likely hear more from, and hopefully one that’ll lean into a little more experimentation as they grow and evolve.

Rating: 7/10

Pleasure’s All Yours is set for release on July 10th via Chunklet. 

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