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[CD-Rom Track]
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album review
After "Hey There Delilah" turned the Plain White T's into 2007's most unexpected success story, the band decamped to Malibu to dream up a proper follow-up. Arriving one year later, Big Bad World is a refreshingly smart release that emphasizes the band's pop/rock leanings. Slower songs dot the set list, but the Plain White T's never attempt to recreate the magic that fueled "Hey There Delilah," focusing instead on slick, sunny songcraft with nary an acoustic guitar in sight. Perhaps fueled by his recent success, frontman Tom Higgenson is in fine voice here, particularly when flanked by his bandmates' harmonies. "Big Bad World" and "Natural Disaster" introduce that tight vocal sound, while "Sunlight" takes its cues from '70s soft rock, boasting a gauzy chorus that takes a page from the Eagles' songbook. Most punk-pop musicians wouldn't be caught dead with an Eagles tune on their iPods, but Plain White T's have always prized pop above punk. Accordingly, pop forms the basis of Big Bad World -- not acoustic balladry, as the success of "Hey There Delilah" would suggest, and not emo-tinged punk, despite the many publications that categorize the band's music as such. Other groups traffic in similar circles, and bands like Jimmy Eat World and The Academy Is... (whose 2008 release, Fast Times at Barrington High, arrived just several weeks before this album) arguably do it better. Still, Big Bad World is a tidy, enjoyable release, and the Plain White T's deserve points for remaining grounded after a meteoric year. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
See all-
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- All That We Needed
- Released 2005
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- Every Second Counts (With Bonus Track)
- Released 2007
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- Every Second Counts
- Released 2006
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- Stop
- Released 2002
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listener reviews
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Doin' it Again my Friend!
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- By astra zenon
- 11/16/2008 06:32:18
- The first song I heard off this album was "Natural Disaster", a punk-pop song reminding me of my favorite bands from the original punk-rock era. Like those bands, this album is filled with varied styles of songs on the same album - from catchy pop songs like "Big Bad World" and "Natural Disaster", "Sunlight" and "That Girl", to slower acoustic songs like "Rainy Day" and "1, 2, 3, 4". This album has them all.
My personal favorite on the entire album is "That Girl". Not because of its story of a "quick romance" but more because it has one of the most catchy chorus hooks that I've heard in a long, long time. I can imagine hearing the T's playing this in a concert, (big or small), and the crowd excitedly singing along - just like we all did when they sang "Hey There Delilah".
Now if you've liked the Plain White T's all along, by all means buy this album. You'll see a dramatic improvement in Tom Higgenson's voice, the band's strong backing vocals plus the technical expertise of the band's instrumentals.
If you've only heard of their "Hey There Delilah" because of this past year's Grammy Nominations, take a chance and buy this album from the newly successful Plain White T's.
Listen to the songs on this album. Listen to them again. By the end of the first (or second) time hearing them, you'll be singing along. Then you'll be sampling their other albums, finding hidden gems, like "Radios In Heaven" on their STOP album. But let's stop here - check out all the songs on BIG BAD WORLD first, see if you like what you hear; I think you will. - Be the first person to rate this review!
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