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Plain White T´s - Big Bad World

label: Hollywood records | release date: 23/09/08 | reviewer: Oliver
review: http://www.punk76.com/Plain_White_Ts_Big_bad_world.php

http://www.myspace.com/plainwhitets

U.S. Rock band Plain White T´s new album "Big Bad World" is scheduled for release September 23rd, 2008 on Hollywood records.

Product describtion on Plain White T´s new album "Big Bad World" taken from Amazon:

There's plenty of heart on Big Bad World. Says singer/songwriter Tom Higgenson, "We tried to be really ambitious and not worry about people's expectations for this record. Our vision was to do it in a classic way." To that end, the band only used gear or instruments made before 1970: vintage guitars, old Vox amps and Leslie speakers, a Ludwig drum set circa 1966. They even recorded without a click track (equivalent to walking a high-wire without a net). Because they recorded it live, you might hear imperfections. But in the case of "Big Bad World," those imperfections worked perfectly.

"Our songs in the past had a `50's and `60's influence with classic songwriting structures and harmonies," says Tom. "This time we decided, rather than punk that out and make it sound modern, we would record as though it could have been done by the Beatles or early Tom Petty. We got to a place where we sounded good live 300 nights a year, so we wanted to capture that."

Of course aiming high means nothing without good songs. Fortunately, coming off a smash hit like "Hey There Delilah," Higgenson felt inspired. "There was no second guessing," he recalls. "If I thought something was good, I went with it. The album is 10 songs, very concise and to the point."

The opening title track, co-written by Tom and Chris Thompkins ("Before He Cheats"), conveys a battle-scarred confessional offset by a deceptively upbeat melody. "Over the past year, I made lots of mistakes," Tom says, "and I wanted to write about that rather than point fingers at people. I wanted to place the blame on myself." Next, the first single "Natural Disaster," with its ballistic beat and tale of a seductive groupie, upends the band's undeserved reputation as loveably lovelorn.

"Serious Mistake" wraps a solid rock foundation with a wild orchestration. "I was in a dark place," Tom says of the song's origins. "I made a stupid mistake with a girl that I immediately regretted. For a while I harbored some guilt. So I wrote the song in an effort to work through it." Bassist Mike Retondo lends a major assist on the track, playing everything from bass clarinet and melodica to trombone, even improvising some of his parts on the spot.

The ballad "Rainy Day" serves as melancholy counterpoint to gems like "That Girl" and "1,2,3,4" (featuring the otherworldy sounds of Jon Brion on the Chamberlin), both of which embody Tom's idealized sense of pop simplicity.

Then there's "Sunlight," which just might be the new album's crown jewel. Written by guitarist Tim Lopez, the song blends a reverent melody with "Abbey Road"-level harmonies to proffer a message of forgiveness (Grammy nominee William Hamilton, the father of PWT's drummer De'Mar Hamilton, plays organ). "Last year should have been the best year of my life," says Tim. "The band was exploding. It seemed we couldn't do anything wrong. But my marriage was ending right in the middle of the success. I wrote this song to my wife. For me, it was written as a message of hope that we could work it out, that we could save what we had. We don't usually do dark songs, but the song had enough hope for Tom to latch onto."

"I Really Want You" infuses a tale of unrequited lust with a "Blonde on Blonde" vibe, right down to the saloon-style piano. "Everybody has that reaction when they see a pretty girl," Tom notes of the song. "Your heart starts racing, your life flashes before your eyes. She's the one! This was written one morning when I caught sight of a girl that for a moment seemed like the one."

As for"Meet Me in California," the song is based on another torturous misstep in the Tom Higgenson love saga. "It's an allusion to another serious mistake," he says. "You can only hurt someone so many times before it's not even about whether they forgive you. It's about why do I keep being such an idiot. I always had it in my head, even as a kid, that I was going to live in California someday. The song is about finally getting out to California and hoping something better is waiting for me there."

The album ends on a high note with "Someday," an intricate composition that swaps typical verse-chorus structure for something harder to label. "I always write hopeful songs," Tom says. "The record starts with `Big Bad World,' talking about my screw-ups, and then it ends with a message that someday it'll all work out."

Track listings:

1. Big Bad World
2. Natural Disaster
3. Serious Mistake
4. Rainy Day
5. 1,2,3,4
6. That Girl
7. Sunlight
8. I Really Want You
9. Meet Me In California
10. Someday

tourdates

27.Sep.2008 16:00 Rock’n Blues By the Lake-Stafford Lake with Third Eye Blind Novato, California
05.Okt.2008 20:00 San Diego Sports Arena - Rock Band Live Tour San Diego, California
08.Okt.2008 20:00 Jobing.com Arena - Rock Band Live Tour Glendale, Arizona
09.Okt.2008 20:00 Hard Rock Outdoor- Paradise Stage - Rock Band Live Tour Las Vegas, Nevada
10.Okt.2008 20:00 Staples Center - Rock Band Live Tour Los Angeles, California
11.Okt.2008 20:00 San Jose Events Center - Rock Band Live Tour San Jose, California
12.Okt.2008 20:00 ARCO Arena - Rock Band Live Tour Sacramento, California
14.Okt.2008 20:00 Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center - Rock Band Live Tour Everett, Washington
16.Okt.2008 20:00 The E-Center - Rock Band Live Tour West Valley City, Utah
17.Okt.2008 20:00 Broomfield Events Center - Rock Band Live Tour Denver, Colorado
18.Okt.2008 20:00 Pershing Auditorium - Rock Band Live Tour Lincoln, Nebraska
19.Okt.2008 20:00 Scottrade Center - Rock Band Live Tour St. Louis, Missouri
21.Okt.2008 20:00 US Bank Theatre At Target Center - Rock Band Live Tour Minneapolis, Minnesota
22.Okt.2008 20:00 Allstate Arena - Rock Band Live Tour Rosemont, Illinois
23.Okt.2008 20:00 EMU Convocation Center - Rock Band Live Tour Ypsilanti, Michigan
24.Okt.2008 20:00 Arrow Hall - Rock Band Live Tour Toronto, Ontario
25.Okt.2008 19:30 Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York
27.Okt.2008 20:00 The Station Portland, Maine
28.Okt.2008 20:00 Arena At Harbor Yard - Rock Band Live Tour Bridgeport, Connecticut
29.Okt.2008 20:00 Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Rock Band Live Tour Lowell, Massachusetts
31.Okt.2008 20:00 Patriot Center - Rock Band Live Tour Fairfax, Virginia
01.Nov.2008 20:00 Wachovia Spectrum - Rock Band Live Tour Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
02.Nov.2008 20:00 Prudential Center - Rock Band Live Tour Newark, New Jersey
04.Nov.2008 20:00 Gwinett Center - Rock Band Live Tour Atlanta, Georgia
05.Nov.2008 20:00 Floyd’s Music Store Tallahassee, Florida
06.Nov.2008 20:00 USF Sun Dome Tampa, Florida
07.Nov.2008 20:00 Bank United Center - Rock Band Live Tour Coral Gables, Florida
08.Nov.2008 20:00 Steven C. O’Connell Center - Rock Band Live Tour Gainesville, Florida
09.Nov.2008 20:00 UCF Center - Rock Band Live Tour Orlando, Florida
11.Nov.2008 20:00 CenturyTel Center - Rock Band Live Tour Bossier City, Louisiana
12.Nov.2008 20:00 Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie - Rock Band Live Tour Grand Prairie, Texas
13.Nov.2008 20:00 Frank Erwin Center - Rock Band Live Tour Austin, Texas
14.Nov.2008 20:00 Reliant Arena - Rock Band Live Tour Houston, Texas