.
As opposed to Paramore's 'Riot!' this front cover is very conventional to all music CDs as it features a picture of the band prominently on the front cover. The band's location is interesting; they're hanging around on a set of stairs leading up to a derelict building. The building is connotative of the band's inner angst; it is very common for rock bands to utilize derelict locations for photo and video shoots for this reason. The black and white effect of the photo is also used for this purpose, as it allows the band to look very dark and mysterious.
The band members clothing and arrangement is also important. The three male members of the band are all dressed in black and have black hair whereas the singer, Taylor Momsen, is wearing light colours and has bright blonde hair. She is in direct contrast with the rest of the band, because as the voice, she is the most important person in the band (in this case).
The font is a conventional to rock music and verges on actually suggesting that the band are a goth band. It is placed on the door of which the steps are leading up to. The band are stood around the door on the steps and are all (except for one) directly addressing the camera, as if inviting the viewer to come inside the building whose door has been labelled 'The Pretty Reckless'.
One of the most important factors in deciding how Taylor Momsen should be portrayed on this front cover is her desire to be taken seriously as an artist as before forming the band she played a character called Jenny Humphrey on the major American TV show, Gossip Girl, a show with which a band like The Pretty Reckless would not normally be associated. Her image, the short dress, exposed legs and make up, have also caused some controversy due to the fact that she is only 17 (and would've been 16 at the time of this release), her exaggerated look could be her personal taste but it could be her using the controversy to increase her notoriety.
The back cover, decides to break the theme of black and white and all members present for a more abstract photograph of Momsen leaning over on an old, vanity table. The use of mirrors in the media is a very well-known convention and connotates the existence of a dual personality, or at least two sides to a person. In this case it is Momsen's rock persona and the Momsen who stars in 'Gossip Girl'; the Momsen that everyone already knows. There is a visible crack in the mirror, positioned right on her crotch to suggest that the new Momsen is now sexually aware and confident. She is again wearing a very short skirt and is wearing fishnet stockings, a common symbol of sexuality to reinforce this.
Another controversial element in the photograph is the fact that she is wearing a long-chained cross which dangles down just above the crack in the mirror. Juxtaposing the image of the cross with Momsen's sexuality is not an accident as several of the band's songs reference the Church's sexual corruption, namely 'Goin' Down', which is present on the CD.
The titles of the songs are arranged so each one begins on Momsen's arm, this makes it a focal point, but the tracks aren't too prominent that they would detract from the image itself. The bottom of the back cover is very conventional as it features management information, record label logos, an FBI piracy warning and a barcode. I actually feel that these could have been designed much better as they look as though they have just been placed on the back cover without much thought to the overall design of the CD.
As opposed to Paramore's 'Riot!' this front cover is very conventional to all music CDs as it features a picture of the band prominently on the front cover. The band's location is interesting; they're hanging around on a set of stairs leading up to a derelict building. The building is connotative of the band's inner angst; it is very common for rock bands to utilize derelict locations for photo and video shoots for this reason. The black and white effect of the photo is also used for this purpose, as it allows the band to look very dark and mysterious.
The band members clothing and arrangement is also important. The three male members of the band are all dressed in black and have black hair whereas the singer, Taylor Momsen, is wearing light colours and has bright blonde hair. She is in direct contrast with the rest of the band, because as the voice, she is the most important person in the band (in this case).
The font is a conventional to rock music and verges on actually suggesting that the band are a goth band. It is placed on the door of which the steps are leading up to. The band are stood around the door on the steps and are all (except for one) directly addressing the camera, as if inviting the viewer to come inside the building whose door has been labelled 'The Pretty Reckless'.
One of the most important factors in deciding how Taylor Momsen should be portrayed on this front cover is her desire to be taken seriously as an artist as before forming the band she played a character called Jenny Humphrey on the major American TV show, Gossip Girl, a show with which a band like The Pretty Reckless would not normally be associated. Her image, the short dress, exposed legs and make up, have also caused some controversy due to the fact that she is only 17 (and would've been 16 at the time of this release), her exaggerated look could be her personal taste but it could be her using the controversy to increase her notoriety.
The back cover, decides to break the theme of black and white and all members present for a more abstract photograph of Momsen leaning over on an old, vanity table. The use of mirrors in the media is a very well-known convention and connotates the existence of a dual personality, or at least two sides to a person. In this case it is Momsen's rock persona and the Momsen who stars in 'Gossip Girl'; the Momsen that everyone already knows. There is a visible crack in the mirror, positioned right on her crotch to suggest that the new Momsen is now sexually aware and confident. She is again wearing a very short skirt and is wearing fishnet stockings, a common symbol of sexuality to reinforce this.
Another controversial element in the photograph is the fact that she is wearing a long-chained cross which dangles down just above the crack in the mirror. Juxtaposing the image of the cross with Momsen's sexuality is not an accident as several of the band's songs reference the Church's sexual corruption, namely 'Goin' Down', which is present on the CD.
The titles of the songs are arranged so each one begins on Momsen's arm, this makes it a focal point, but the tracks aren't too prominent that they would detract from the image itself. The bottom of the back cover is very conventional as it features management information, record label logos, an FBI piracy warning and a barcode. I actually feel that these could have been designed much better as they look as though they have just been placed on the back cover without much thought to the overall design of the CD.