General Information
Personnel:
Taylor Momsen – vocals
Mark Damon – bass guitar
Jamie Perkins – drums, percussion
Ben Phillips – guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, percussion
Producers: Taylor Momsen, Ben Phillips, Jonathan Wyman
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Record Label: Fearless
Setting the Scene
Taking a five-year vacation in the modern music business is an excellent way to become a pub trivia question. Naturally, The Pretty Reckless ignored the memo entirely and dropped what many are describing as their best album yet. Taylor Momsen and company have finally returned to deliver their fifth studio album, Dear God, making it abundantly clear that the half-decade absence was time well spent.
First Impression
Listening to Dear God feels less like a casual pastime and more like getting cornered by someone who has a mountain of serious grievances to get off their chest. The entire fifty minutes is a steady, unapologetic unloading of frustration, grief, and beautiful noise. They aren’t in the business of offering comfort; they simply pack every track with enough heavy, unfiltered reality to ensure you feel every bruise by the time it is over. At the end of the record, surprisingly, you’ll feel much better about your own problems.
Similar Sounds
If you’re into any of these artists, this album should be on your radar.
Visual Vibes
Track on Repeat
The title track “Dear God” earns its permanent spot on repeat by taking a bleak existential crisis and escalating it into a massive, throat-tearing anthem that simply hits harder than anything else on the record.
In-depth Notes
Musical Shape 🎸
Rather than stubbornly hammering away at one single sound, the band treats their instruments like a versatile toolkit while maintaining a completely unified vision. The guitars naturally handle the heavy lifting, pivoting easily from the jagged, unstable tempos driving “When I Wake Up” to the deceptive acoustic chords that bleed into heavy psychedelia on “Dragonfire.” Not to be outdone, the rhythm section proves they aren’t just there to provide a standard hard-rock trudge, breaking away to lock down a surprisingly breezy, 1970s funk groove on “Rollercoaster of Life.” It is a calculated, blues-soaked foundation that gives the record a heavy, unrelenting backbone.
Vocal Performance 🎤
I have always loved Taylor Momsen’s vocals and I believe she is one of the best hard rock vocalists of our generation and probably of all time. This record simply hammers that conviction home. She operates with total authority, effortlessly navigating the dynamic shift from restrained, brooding verses into explosive, high-power choruses. Whether she is leaning into a subdued menace or unleashing a raw, full-throated howl, her delivery dictates the energy of every single track, proving her voice is just as vital and heavy as the instrumentation backing it up.
Production Quality 🎧
Stripping away the studio gloss allows the heavy blues and garage rock foundation to bleed through. The mix keeps the dirt intact while perfectly balancing quiet acoustic moments against explosive choruses. Capturing the band at this raw peak is exactly why some consider it the best The Pretty Reckless album to date.
Themes and Concepts 💭
The album digs straight into some incredibly dark and heavy emotional territory. Rather than just telling you about it, the combination of the bruising music, blunt lyrics, and Momsen’s absolute vocal power makes those heavy realities completely tangible. Every crashing riff and desperate vocal hook drags the listener right down into the middle of the wreckage alongside them.
Final Verdict
If there is a better hard rock record out there right now, it is hiding; Dear God leaves nothing behind but pure, unfiltered truth waltzing to heavy rock and roll.
Mood Meter
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Intensity
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Melancholy
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Darkness
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Emotional
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Serenity
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Energy
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Romance
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Joyfulness
Perfect For…
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Emotional Struggles – a great escape
Driving – windows closed, singing your heart out along
Thinking alone – after fucking up and making wrong choices
Long night walks – but watch your steps
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