8/10

There’s a sense of pressure running through 'Layaway Plot' that never quite lets up. It’s not simply intensity for its own sake, but carries an emotional weight that shapes both the sound and structure of the record. What began years ago as a conceptual project, the debut full-length from Charlotte outfit Pretty Baby has evolved into something far more immediate, shedding its earlier framing in favour of a direct, band-driven identity.

Musically, the album sits at the intersection of post-hardcore abrasion and more expansive, experimental textures. There are clear reference points but Pretty Baby avoid leaning too heavily on those comparisons. Instead, they use them as a foundation for something more fluid, where sharp guitar lines, restless bass movement, and tightly coiled drumming are offset by stretches of space and atmosphere.

And that contrast becomes one of the album’s defining characteristics. Tracks frequently build toward dense, distorted peaks before pulling back into quieter, more reflective passages. The interplay between chaos and restraint mirrors the album’s thematic core, giving the record a sense of cohesion even as it moves through varied sonic territory.

'Sleepdrunk' stands as a key moment within that framework. It captures much of what the album is attempting to do while introducing an unpredictability in its structure that feels instinctive as it plays. The closing section, with its sudden escalation, reinforces the sense that these songs are driven as much by feeling as by design.

Lyrically, 'Layaway Plot' is unflinching in its focus, as the writing circles around loss, but not in a singular or simplified way. It approaches grief as something personal, societal, and existential. There are references to individual experience, but also to broader forms of erosion, whether that’s identity, stability, or a sense of future. The title itself hints at this intersection, where personal hardship collides with external pressures.

What emerges is a record that feels both heavy and purposeful. Pretty Baby present the themes they explore with a level of honesty that feels consistent throughout. 'Layaway Plot' is not an easy listen, nor does it try to be, but it offers a sense of recognition, and the suggestion that even within that weight, there is still movement forward.

The limited edition die-cut vinyl can be purchased here.