Plain White T’s – Every Second Counts

Over the past few years, Plain White T’s have been a constant name tossed around in the background of the pop-punk community. They had a steady following, and their hit song Hey There Delilah was getting them attention for all sides of the world. Now, after three independent releases (including a Hey There Delilah EP), the Chicago five-piece is ready to burst from the background into the forefront of the pop-punk/power-pop scene with their major label debut, Every Second Counts.

While there’s no denying that Every Second Counts is a dangerously heavy load of bouncy power-pop songs, you also can’t deny the fact that the songs are abnormally entertaining and just plain fun. It’s a perfect combination of the band’s debut, Stop, along with their follow up, All That We Needed, making for a nice, power-pop album about love, life, love, relationship and some more love songs. Yes, that’s a lot of love songs, but what else do you expect from power-pop tunes?

The songs flow nicely form one to another, while keeping enough of a distinction between them too (which is something lacking in a lot of pop-punk albums these days). The songs vary from the Panic! At The Disco-esque Figure It Out to the more Name Taken/Punchline/Bayside type of songs; and, of course, they have the signature acoustic ballad Write You A Song (which isn’t quite as good as Delilah but pretty close). You And Me has that upbeat, bounciness that made All That We Needed so good, with an insanely catchy chorus and a guitar riff which, when mixed with the thumb of the bass, you can’t help but tap your feet along with it; while Making A Memory has that softer feeling that filled up Stop.

When it comes down to it, you’ll either likeEvery Second Counts or you won’t. If you liked the band’s older releases, or are a fan of the whole pop-punk/power-pop genre, then you’ll love the album. Hate (I Really Don’t Like You), You And Me, and Our Time Now will become instant favorites for the pop-punk fan, but if you dislike that genre, Plain White T’s will be the last band you’d want to hear because as it is, they have the power-pop melodies down pat and they won’t be the ones to convince you to fall in love with it.