Pleaser by Pretty Bitter
[TE217]
https://te.lsnto.me/pleaser
Mainstays of the D.C. DIY scene, Pretty Bitter live up to their name. Masters of all kinds of dissonance, they juxtapose stories of haunting and heartbreak with dazzling pop-rock arrangements. Pretty Bitter makes music that gets the emo kids dancing. They’re unafraid to infuse their blistering breakdowns with hits of disco and synthpop—and that’s exactly what they’ve done on Pleaser, their sophomore album, co-produced by Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It., Pet Symmetry) and Simon Small (Strawberry Boy) and out July 25th, 2025 via cult favorite indie label Tiny Engines. Following a string of ethereal singles, their 2022 debut Hinges formally introduced Pretty Bitter and their dreampunk to a rapidly growing audience. Fearlessly led by Mel Bleker and sharing studio and touring members with D.C. punk all-stars Ekko Astral, Pretty Bitter has been embraced by DIY fans far and wide. In the summer of 2025, they’ll be making their triumphant return to the Midwest’s premiere DIY music festival Fauxchella, and they’ll be one of many hometown heroes taking the stage for the inaugural Liberation Weekend, Ekko Astral’s hand-curated trans rights benefit music festival. On Pleaser, Pretty Bitter have amped up the drama of their lush arrangements—a match made in heaven for the emotional ferocity of Bleker’s lyricism. “If everything is out there, nothing’s embarrassing,” they sigh on “I Hope You Do,” expertly toeing the line between the personal and the universal over bright, bubbling synths. On the arresting closer “Outer Heaven,” Bleker sings “Time isn’t a lover in the way it likes to play / I’m getting older, every due I pay / Time isn’t a bandage in the way you always say / I won’t be abandoned by myself again this way.” Their observational, heart-on-sleeve songwriting is as effortless as their flittering between the jangly, dreamy inclinations of rock, pop, and folk. Pleaser is a triumph, an instantly lovable record that reveals just how bright Pretty Bitter’s future is.
(bio by Grace Robins-Somerville)
Tracklist
| 1. | Coroner's Song | 4:14 |
| 2. | Thrill Eater | 3:57 |
| 3. | Outer Heaven Dude Ranch | 4:10 |
| 4. | Tommy Deluxe Goes Hollywood | 3:01 |
| 5. | Cardiac | 3:19 |
| 6. | I Hope You Do | 3:25 |
| 7. | Bodies Under The Rose Garden | 2:49 |
| 8. | Letter To Tracey In Her Bed | 4:18 |
| 9. | Textbook (featuring Nervous) | 2:59 |
| 10. | Outer Heaven | 3:25 |
