ALBUM REVIEW: Plain White T’s – Plain White T’s

PLAIN WHITE T’S might be best known for their 2006 smash-hit Hey There Delilah, but on their self-titled ninth album they show how they have matured over the years. The band from Lombard, Illinois have decided to go back in time to re-use old sounds that they had in the past, but while putting a fresh spin on them.

The youthful energy is evident from the very start. Opening with a bouncy guitar riff, Young Tonight could fit easily on any previous album from the band, like their critically-acclaimed third full-length All That We Needed, or 2015’s American Nights. But the track is also distinctly modern, with some vocal distortion scattered throughout the song.

This modern energy leaks out of the speakers. Whilst there are songs that are staples of what they’ve always done, such as the sing-along chorus of Would You Even or the acoustic love song You Plus Me, the band also try new things. Fired Up is a song which sees vocalist Tom Higgenson talking over an acoustic guitar and it stands out as it mostly leaves the instruments to the background and allows the vocals to take centre stage.

Unfortunately, there are also some pitfalls. Whilst L-O-V-E is a sweet love song, its lyrics are a bit too sugary and repetitive for their own good. Furthermore, the next couple of songs – Someone’s Out There Waiting For You and Girl From Pasadena – are both acoustic songs, and whilst the latter does feature the addition of violins, these tracks do slow the album down as they are all clumped together.

Thankfully, the pacing picks up with Happy, an upbeat electro-rock song, and Red Flags, a rock song with an electro backing track. Even the acoustic track Love Keeps Growing has a section of electric rock. Whilst the album ends on an acoustic song called Spaghetti Tattoo, it is not so bad because it completes the journey the listeners have been on.

Overall, this a flawed but enjoyable record. Whilst it makes the most of some experimentation, the album does fall into an acoustic trap. The songs are good, but they do sometimes suffer from being a tad too cliché, especially the love songs. On the other hand, there are also standout tracks, like Young Tonight, which capture the youthful energy of the band. The album works best when PLAIN WHITE T’S step away from what they know, and ultimately it is frustrating that they don’t do more of it.

Rating: 6/10

Plain White T’s is out now via Fearless Records.

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