The official Fiction Plane bio that MCA's publicity department sent to the
media with Everything Will Never Be OK doesn't mention the fact that Joe
Sumner, the London-based outfit's lead singer, is the adult son of former
Police vocalist Sting—obviously, MCA isn't trying to exploit the Sting
connection or market Sumner as "Junior Sting." Not that the information
isn't a matter of public record; in England, publications have been quick to
point out that Sting is Sumner's father. But anyone who expects Sumner to
emulate his dad is bound to be disappointed; he doesn't try to sing like
"Junior Sting," and Fiction Plane is far from a Police tribute band. Truth
be told, Fiction Plane's sound is closer to Bono and U2. Sumner's vocals
have a somewhat Bono-ish quality, and Fiction Plane have obviously been
influenced by U2's melodies. But Sumner and his colleagues aren't going out
of their way to emulate U2, the Police or anyone else. While U2 is a strong
melodic influence, Fiction Plane's lyrics are a lot more cynical. U2 have
always had a certain idealism—intellectually, Bono no doubt realizes that he
isn't going to save the world, but damned if he isn't going to try.
Ultimately, U2 is an optimistic band even though they have their share of
dark songs; no one will accuse "Sunday Bloody Sunday" of being an exercise
in feel-good escapism. Fiction Plane, however, bring a much more melancholy,
world-weary outlook to their alternative pop-rock material. They also bring
a strong sense of craftsmanship to the table; produced by David Kahne, this
is an impressively consistent and promising effort. Yes, Fiction Plane is
led by the son of a superstar, but Everything Will Never Be OK demonstrates
that Sumner is an impressive pop-rock craftsman in his own right.
Alex Henderson
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=7:13:29|PM&sql=A60d6vwvqa9uk
