Pretty is Wreckers only strength

Stand Tall, Look Pretty, the debut album from the Wreckers, is so unremarkable that I didn't realize that I knew the first song, having heard it on the radio a number of times, and most of the words to the song until I caught myself singing along. But as soon as the tune ended, I was hard pressed to remember what the chorus was or even what it was about. \nThe lyrics on this album sound like middle schoolers wrote them, with the music sounding perfect for an elevator. And the combination of the two? A country album that is not worth purchasing, unless your view of good music is safe, non-controversial (although they do use the word "bullshit" -- that is how edgy this CD is), and completely unoriginal. \nAs I have said before and will continue to say, country music is changing. It is no longer the "Someone's leaving, someone's cheating" mantra that the Wreckers make mention of. Instead, country music is about politics and religion. Country is full of artists taking \nadvantage of the opportunity to be heard, and The Wreckers have decided that what we need to hear is what others have already said, and said much better. \nThey do miss the days when "Gas was cheap/No cell phones and water was free" which makes sense because Michelle Branch is almost 23 and Jessica Harp is already 24. Oh, and the next line in that song…" Daddy paid and I never had to worry." If you didn't have to worry, then why, oh why, are you complaining about how things used to be?\nInstead of changing the world, or even adding something new to it, the Wreckers sing about how hard it is to love someone and how they know they are with the wrong guys, but can't help themselves, as though they were the first people to ever have relationship problems. \nThe title of the record is perhaps the most apt and understandable element of the entire album. Stand Still, Look Pretty. With unforgettable lines like "You might think it's easy being me/You just stand still, look pretty" that complements the CD art that centers around three pictures of Branch and Harp sitting there looking pretty, you just have to wonder where they are coming from.\nMaybe we will learn that this disc is a farce, an over-the-top satire, but until then I have to think that the Wreckers believe that what they have accomplished with this album is worth taking note of. It's not.