The Pretty Reckless — an American alternative rock band formed in 2007 and fronted by Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen — just released their second album (after Light it Up in 2010), with the hit single “Make Me Wanna Die.”

Going to Hell hits off with “Follow Me Down” which is a nice blend of twisting rock guitar riffs and Momsen’s smooth chords. It is an energetic, spot-on start to the new album, with lots of promise.

The next track has the same name as the album, “Going to Hell” (and was released as a single last year). It is raunchy, rough, and definitely borderline hard rock rather then alternative. With a definite, speedy beat that is not quite as predominant as it is in “Heaven Knows” (the third track), it is a really energy-filled song.

“House on a Hill” starts off slow, with a good guitar tune, but is also haunting in the lyrics and the way the vocals croon, almost spookily, about a house on a hill filled with the dead who are still living. “Sweet Things” gets one hundred percent creepier with the lyrics “Hey, little girl / Come inside I’ve got some sweet things.” Both songs have equally good, stable beats, but the eerie words are definitely memorable.

“Dear Sister” is short and sweet, merely a transition song with dark lyrics, a lot like a soft, lilting lullaby. “Absolution” is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album — a lot calmer than “Going to Hell” and a lot less creepy than “Sweet Things”.

“Blame Me” is much calmer and just as good as “Absolution” — which has a more lilting up and down pace. “Burn” is the ninth track on the album, and is a completely acoustic song. It has got killer lyrics that really show off Momsen’s talents, and the soft guitar strokes in the background really put emphasis on the meaning of the song.

“Why’d you Bring a Shotgun to the Party” is back up there with the hard, edgy rock that The Pretty Reckless is so good at producing. Killer guitar riffs matched with Momsen’s low, smooth voice are a good match for a song with a kick.

“F***ed Up World” is the next track, and the band is definitely keeping up with that edgy style (Note: this song is explicit). “Waiting For a Friend” starts off slow and calm despite the crazier songs that Momsen just spits out, yet it has still got that eerie feeling haunting the lyrics.

The next two songs are acoustic versions of “Going to Hell” and “Sweet Things” followed by “Only You,” which is definitely a scary song that ends the album. It is just as good as the rest of the tracks, just like most would expect from The Pretty Reckless. They never fail to release a good, slightly haunting and dark, hard rock album.