Wonders of the Younger

American band Plain White T's have been kicking around for a
while. They will probably be best remembered for the splendid
single 'Hey There Delilah' from their 2007 album 'Every Second
Counts'. They are, however, much more than a one trick pony
and their new release 'Wonders Of The Younger' delivers song
writing and performances of the very highest calibre.

Tim Higgenson is the lead singer and plays guitar; Tim Lopez
plays lead guitar and sings; Dave Tirio plays more guitar and
also sings; Mike Retondo plays bass and (yup you got it!) sings
too; DeMar Hamilton manages the drums (without singing!).
With so many singers at hand you might well imagine that there
is a strong potential for laying down some neat harmonies and
you would be right - they do. This is Grade A melodic pop.

Mr Higgenson has a very nice voice indeed. It's a light high
tenor which carries a tune well. He is a worthy front-man.
There are a generous fifteen songs in the collection and they
are varied enough in tempo and construction to maintain our
attention from the first scene until the curtain closes.

The album kicks off with a cracking song, 'Irrational Anthem',
about the struggles of growing up and holding on to what had
been most precious about childhood. The chorus sounds like
it could have been plucked straight from a playground memory.

'Welcome To Mystery' is a wonderfully old-fashioned confection.
A bit of a fairground-waltz-time-fantasy looking back over its
shoulder to some of the best music that the 60's had to offer.

The canny string arrangement on 'Last Breath' frames one of
the album's strongest offerings. Mr Hamilton thumps the tubs
with gusto, driving the arrangement, with it's complex vocal
harmonies, towards an uplifting anthemic conclusion.

'Cirque Dans La Rue' is as mad as a box of frogs. A big-top
nightmare with everything and the kitchen sink (and mariachi
trumpets!) thrown in. It shouldn't work but it does; a credit
to the band's corporate imagination and theatrical flair.

The exploration of childhood reflections continues on title track
'Wonders Of The Younger'. The pathos, regret and story-time imagery
could have fallen flat in less skilled hands but Plain White T's
manage to carry it off with guileless conviction and touching honesty.

Final track '1,2,3,4' is a curious ditty with a clever bit
of word-play woven from the title's four figures. Cute.

'Wonders Of The Younger' passed the "smile if you're happy"
test with flying colours. It's an unpretentious little gem.

Highly Recommended.

Yes, I like this band and ordered Wonders of the Younger without any hesitation. That said, this is by far the best album they have released and although it was only released in December, it gets my vote as the best album of 2010.

I heard a song in MacD's, used my phone to identify the song, found the song on Spotify - listened to the album then bought it from Amazon.

A long story I know but I am so glad I found this group and this album, it is absolutely fantastic. I just hope they tour in the UK sometime soon, I'll be the first in the ticket queue!!