“Pretty Ugly” is the debut single by Archer Stevens, an outstanding band based in Phoenix, Arizona. Recorded at several locations, such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Peru at Soma Audio, this exceptional composition showcases all the skills, talent, knowledge, and experience of these profoundly creative musicians. Drawing inspiration from many renowned acts such as Elton John, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, and the Rolling Stones, Archer Stevens combines several subgenres of rock music together. You’ll notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from classic rock, rock ‘n’ roll, and indie rock found their way into this sonic equation, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some other elements along the way. They use all these additional elements as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to elevate their music to new heights while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. Their music continuously levitates between nostalgic seventies sound and modern approaches, blending the best of both worlds expertly. Therefore, these experimentations resulted in a catchy, memorable, engaging composition that will appeal not only to retro rock fans but also those picky music enthusiasts looking for cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music.
As soon as you press play, the pleasant ambiance wraps around your listening apparatus and refuses to let go long after the song ends. Archer Stevens fully stacked this composition with some of the finest vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers you’ll hear in a while, and all these qualities undoubtedly enhance the listening experience to the point you’ll gladly spin this track over and over again. “Pretty Ugly” arrives with an expertly assembled structure, garnered with profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and marvelous orchestrations. The song commences with a catchy keyboard theme that sets the tone for the remainder of the song. Together with guitars, it creates a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. The comprehensive collection is built upon magnificent chord progressions, riffs, harmonies, and melodies paired with synth layers lurking around during each section of the song, spicing things up and elevating everything to new heights. All these instrumentations demonstrate their dedication to the craft, as Archer Stevens sets the bar high with their debut single. With each new section, this song becomes even more complex, soulful, and funky. In the meantime, the passionate, soulful, confident, emotive, powerful vocal performance commands attention and guides the listening apparatus through each segment. These vocal harmonies seamlessly balance low, mid, and high notes, emphasizing everything Archer Stevens intended to achieve with their debut song. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these vocal maneuvers match guitars and synths harmoniously, making “Pretty Ugly” even more pleasant to the ears. This level of songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing mastery is rarely heard or seen on the modern music scene nowadays, proving that Archer Stevens consists of musicians who love high-quality rock music from the bottom of their hearts.
Of course, this composition wouldn’t sound this good without a rock-solid rhythm section. You’ll notice how all those warm-sounding, vividly hearable, intricate basslines rumble beneath guitars and keys, providing more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while binding all those orchestrations with rhythmic patterns. In the meantime, the exceptional drumming performance based upon tastefully crafted, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other drumming acrobatics keep everything in line. Alongside more than notable percussion, these rhythmic sequences dictate groove and tempo. Archer Stevens thought about even the tiniest details and nuances, so if the guitars and synths act as a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon, then the bass and drums serve as an adequate backbone, holding everything together with such precision and finesse. “Pretty Ugly” evokes the times when classic rock ruled the airwaves but also incorporates modern approaches, especially in terms of sound quality. This song compiles the best of both worlds while breaking all the rules and shape-shifting boundaries of rock music, and all of that with an aim to deliver a fresh, unique, innovative, exciting take on such a longevous music genre. With “Pretty Ugly,” Archer Steven proves that they’re profoundly creative musicians who’re more than capable of delivering a masterpiece that will immediately end up as a favorite track on so many playlists. The single is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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