For a young alterna-pop band, the key to getting noticed by the likes of MTV is a selection of songs with catchy hooks and a band with a certain level of physical attractiveness. Luckily for the guys of Plain White T’s, they have both. Since the group’s creation in 1997, the Plain White T’s have grown considerably. Their debut album, Stop was recorded in a friend’s basement. After eight years, their sophomore album All That We Needed got a little help from We Are Scientists' producer Ariel Rechtshaid and was recorded at Hard Drive, an actual studio in North Hollywood. Originating as a garage/basement band from suburban Chicago, Plain White T’s has a certain teen angst appeal. Lead singer Tom Higgenson has a voice that recalls a high school romance, especially on the single “Hey There Delilah,” a love letter song to a girl who has left and gone to New York for college. Written from the apparent perspective of a high school dropout boyfriend, the song drips with puppy love and first heartbreak.
It is this song that touches the Plain White T’s listeners so much as you can hear on the last track, the live version of “Hey There Delilah.” Recorded at a December 2005 concert at Chicago’s Metro, the concert hall seems to be filled with an audience of predominantly young women, most likely teenagers. And they all know every word to the song. So well, in fact, that at one point, Higgenson stops singing and the audience continues on without missing a beat. This is a good sign for the Plain White T’s. It means they have a hit single, one with a hook that will help sell them on MTV and help get them nation-wide gigs. There’s no need to really discuss the rest of the album. The songs are catchy, but mediocre. None capture the emotion of “Delilah.” If there is one thing all the songs on this EP have in common, it’s a sense of insecurity. The track “Down The Road” is a song about being young and having insecurities about the future. “Losing Myself” is about insecurities with finding new love and keeping it. “If I Told You” is about the insecurity of admitting you love someone and the fear of rejection.. Overall, this is the most honest trait the Plain White T’s have: their ability to capture a sense of complete and total insecurity within their music. Not to say they are insecure ABOUT their music. They are not. It's easy to see why many young people who suffer from low self-esteem will find their music appealing. You can hear some of the Plain White T's music on their MySpace page.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
This article has been placed at the Advance.net websites, a site affiliated with about 12 newspapers.
One such site is here.
2 - bianca
its awesome i love it, i first heard it from my boyfriend. he played it to me when i was away for a while it was so beautiful.
3 - plainwhitetslover
Hey. I believe that you are somewhat wrong on your facts. Not all the Plain White T's songs are about insecurities. If you've ever tried to write a song yourself, you naturally say stuff that says that you might feel sorry for yourself. also, not all their songs are true stories probably.You write about stuff that's happened to you that is either something that's happened when you are lost, or scared, or don't know what to do to ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE SONG! Otherwise it would be boring and we wouldnt be talking about them becuase they wouldn't be famous and in no way does that mean that the people listening to it have insecurities. I do not have low self esteem. I love their songs and am not at all like you labeled me to be. You also contradict yourself more than once. Do you consider "love and heartbreak" to be "insecurities" or "low self esteem." I quote directly from the song "even more in love with me, you'd fall". I could be wrong but I don't think that's insecure or demonstrating low self esteem. Don't take this too personally, just correcting some points you got wrong.
4 - Tom H. LOVER!!
OMG!! I love you tom your so hot and i love ALL your songs, keep up the good and hard work!!I would do anything to meet you! OMG! lol Mostly all your songs talk about how i feel in life recently, thanks for that! Love you guys!!! lol
5 - Tom H. LOVER!!
OMG!! YOUR SO HOT!!!
6 - Gabriel Ramirez
that is a very nice song i fall in love with it : ) but what i need is for someone to send me the song for me to read because i like to send it to someone special
7 - Gabriel Ramirez
that is a very nice song i fall in love with it : ) but what i need is for someone to send me the song for me to read because i like to send it to someone special