Pleaser

Description

Pillars of the D.C. DIY scene, Pretty Bitter lives up to its name. Masters of all kinds of dissonance, they juxtapose tales of haunting and heartbreak with dazzling pop-rock arrangements. Pretty Bitter makes music that gets emo kids dancing. They aren't afraid to infuse their explosive breakdowns with disco and synthpop hits — and that's exactly what they did on Pleaser, their second album, co-produced by Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It., Pet Symmetry) and Simon Small (Strawberry Boy) and released on July 25, 2025, via the cult independent label Tiny Engines. After a series of ethereal singles, their 2022 debut album, Hinges, officially introduced Pretty Bitter and their dreampunk to a growing audience. Fearlessly led by Mel Bleker and sharing members in the studio and on tour with D.C. punk stars Ekko Astral, Pretty Bitter has been embraced by DIY fans worldwide. On Pleaser, Pretty Bitter has amplified the drama of their lush arrangements — a perfect match for the emotional ferocity of Bleker's lyricism. "If everything is out there, nothing is embarrassing," they sigh on "I Hope You Do," skillfully walking the line between the personal and the universal over bright, bubbling synths. On the striking "Outer Heaven," Bleker sings, "Time is not a lover in the way it likes to play / I'm aging, every due I pay / Time is not a bandage in the way you always say / I won't be abandoned by myself this way." Their observational writing, heart on their sleeve, is as effortless as their floating between the leanings and 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.