Plain White T’s – Big Bad World

I’ve been a fan of Plain White T’s ever since their humble beginnings on Fearless Records – particularly their sophomore record, All That We Needed. There was something in their sugary sweet style of pop-punk that caught my attention and interest. But then came the band’s (and label’s) obsession with Hey There Delilah (releasing the same song on three CDs is a bit much guys!), then came the signing to a major label and now we’re at Big Bad World, the band’s fifth album. Sadly, this album is lacking all the elements that impressed me on All That We Needed and is instead full of super sweet, saccharine, love songs. It leads me to think that maybe, just maybe, its time for them to call it a day.

The record begins decently enough with a title track that starts with short session of distorted power chords before Tom Higgenson’s vocals come in. It’s a simple little ditty that is rather catchy and if you can get by the uneven mixing job you’ll be tapping your head and singing along in no time. The hopeful song cumulates with a slight explosion of horns in the bridge before returning to the toe-tapping chorus and while the song is nothing much to write home about, it wouldn’t have ruined All That We Needed either.

Unfortunately for Plain White T’s, or for their fans, the remaining nine tracks are rarely – if ever – able to keep that positive overtone. Instead you get a polished, a tad-too-sweet, and sometimes all too slow pop track, one after another. They seem to be taking a page out of Panic At The Disco‘s notebook, particularly on Serious Mistakes which not only sees a combination of strings and horns but a chorus delivered with a one-two smack like Brandon Urie. Rainy Day is another forgettable but non-insulting track before they hop back onto the acoustic train with a Bright Eyes wannabe love song, 1,2,3,4.

There’s a sense of care-free sixties pop in the songs but are all too often and when they deliver that in an upbeat manner, like the do-wop inspired That Girl or I Really Want You, it’s bearable. But all too often they go for a slow, stretched out, string and piano pop style that sounds like a band trying to imitate a band who’s trying to imitate another. It seems watered down, forced and forgettable. Add in that the content of every single song nothing more complex than a “I want you/I love you” song and Plain White T’s have lost everything that once made them remotely interesting to me.