During the initial spin, I didn't like this but something told me to hold off and go back later for another listen. There was something there- I just needed to listen again to find it. Well, I found it. In all honesty, Fiction Plane aren't forging new ground musically. But, what they are doing is playing some well crafted "modern rock" songs with catchy vocal hooks that are slightly reminiscent of early Bono at times and early Sting at others. The album starts off relatively strong, dies down in the middle and picks up again at the end. The best tracks are Everything Will Never Be OK, Hate, Soldier Machismo and Silence. Two other strong tracks are the atmospheric Wise and the poppy Cigarette. There's a hidden track entitled Bongo that kicks in at the 9 minute mark after the last song and has the band veering off in a totally different direction. For the record, London's Fiction Plane have recorded what is arguably a very strong debut with several tracks worthy of airplay. While not a direct musical comparison, fans of bands like Everclear may find something they like in Fiction Plane.
Review by: Samuel Adams
east coast romper
http://www.eastcoastromper.com/index.html
