Illinois indie band Plain White T’s have just released their latest album Wonders of the Younger, and surprisingly they’ve steered clear of emulating their previous success with previous effort Every Second Counts.
I first became a fan of their work when I heard Hey there Delilah, which, although slightly overplayed, was quite a lovely song, with emotional lyrics, so I was excited when I noticed they had a new album out.
Album opener Irrational Anthem begins slow and melodic, but then goes into an energetic, catchy chorus. This change of tempo makes the song really enjoyable and a great way to start the album. It does bare some resemblance to their songs on Every Second Counts, but this could be because front man Tom Higgenson has quite a distinctive voice. This is a really good way to start the album, and sets it off nicely.
Another song which really stood out for me was Welcome to the Mystery; it has a strange mix of sounds which almost makes you feel like you’re in a hall of mirrors at a fair ground, it’s quite weird, but in a good way. I like that they tried to change it up and evoke an unusual emotion from the listener, bringing us back to our childhood. This song is definitely linked to the album cover which shows a rundown fair ground, suggesting that the concept for this album is creating sounds which remind us of when we were young. This is a great idea and the song has an eeriness about it which definitely struck a chord with me.
By far my favourite track of the album is Rhythm of Love which has a great summery beat, helping to beat those December winter blues. This is a tune you can’t resist tapping your toes to, and his voice is at its best, with moments of stunning falsetto. Although it didn’t chart, I think it’s a great single because the chorus is memorable and it really lifts your mood when you listen to it.
Overall this album is pretty good, it’s light hearted and Higgenson’s voice is soft, and easy to listen to. A few of the songs do sound similar to each other, but there are some real gems in there so I recommend giving it a try.
