I really don’t care much for the alternative-pop-punk band, Plain White T’s. In fact, I really dislike their two biggest hits “Hey There Delilah” and “1,2,3,4″. On the contrary however, there latest album, Wonders of the Younger, is pretty good considering how the rest of their albums have been forgettable.
This album has a splash of Cirque du Soleil, Tim Burton, and the inquisitive nature of five dudes written all over it. And once again, another band has gone with the cliched circus theme, but unlike other bands, PWT actually and noticeably worked the circus theme into most of their songs.
According to lead vocals Tom Higgenson in reference to their latest album, “The scope is a lot bigger than anything we’ve done before. Not that we wanted to sound like a different band, but we wanted to push ourselves outside of what the Plain White T’s are accustomed to–exploring different arrangements and striving to be more adventurous and exciting lyrically, musically and thematically.”
The album starts off on a good note with “Irrational Anthem”, a track that starts off slow and then bursts into pop-punk. Following the opener are “Boomerang” and “Welcome to Mystery”, another two promising tracks that set the mood for the rest of the album. Next up is “Rhythm of Love”, the first single, which sounds very much like “Hey There Delilah” and “1,2,3,4″, although it has a bit more percussion and therefore is a little punchier. Other standouts on the album are “Killer” with it’s harmonies, “Last Breath” backed by a violin, “Broken Record” with it’s catchy beat, and “Body Parts” which may be the first ballad that I’ve ever liked by an alternative-pop-punk band.
I was quite surprised by this album given my earlier feelings towards the bands music and I encourage you to given it a listen if you share similar sentiments. Wonders of the Younger won’t blow you away, but it’s a pretty refreshing album given the limitations that the alternative-pop-punk genre can have.
Rating: 6/10
Label: Hollywood Records
Favourites: Irrational Anthem, Welcome to Mystery, Killer, Last Breath
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