4/6/03
sacramento bee
Recent releases: Everything will never be ok Fiction Plane / MCA Records / 3 stars
By David Barton
It figures: Not only is Sting a pop giant, a serious musician, a sophisticated politician, a decent family man, a solid actor and good looking - he's also got good musical genes. Witness his son Joe Sumner's band, Fiction Plane. While the children of classic rock musicians abound, few deliver with the skill of Sting Junior's band on their debut album. They've had every advantage, of course, from the leader's surname - not much of an advantage to most, ask Adam Cohen or Chris Stills - to the substantial contributions of monster drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. (late of Paul McCartney's touring band).
But Fiction Plane's songs - credited to the band, which also includes Dan Brown and Seton Daunt - have a sophistication, variety and energy that set them a cut above. They reference the Police, for sure - Sumner's voice sounds very much like his dad's - but they also throw in some Rush-like riffing and their own distinctive style. Whether or not they are the real deal depends in large part on their live performance - Laboriel's work convincingly creates the illusion of a band, but he is a hired hand. Still, "Everything will never be ok" is a very solid way to launch a career.
http://www.sacticket.com/music/story/6408526p-7360850c.html