Plain White T's - Big Bad World

Big Bag World (2008, Hollywood) Plain White T's fourth studio album. ***

Fans of Plain White T's will be pleased with a collection of moderately catchy songs with such 'deep' insights; the band knows how they feel, what it's like to have 'been there.' Problem is, the band's connection is only through generic renderings that only people without souls have never experienced. Take "Sunlight," a melodically pleasing song with a less-than-stellar message: "When you're all alone/Stuck in the dark/When you've lost your way in life/I won't be far." Wow.

Here's the kicker; Big Bad World isn't good enough to win any decent amount of critical praise, so snobby music buffs will continue to write them off. The band only has one hit, "Hey There Delilah," and there doesn't seem to be any material here that's nearly as memorable (or annoying) as that, though tracks like the bouncy pop of "Big Bad World," the indie-leaning "Natural Disaster," or the explosive guitar-and-harmonica play of "I Really Want You" might find airtime. That said, their fan base is already small, and the weaknesses of Big Bad World can't - logically, anyway - propel them any further. It's full of the cliches you'd expect from an emo band still trying to sound original, but it isn't garbage. If there's anything good about it, it doesn't have any painstakingly-irksome moments.