| Plus One Obvious Pop Atlantic Records 02/26/02 by Robin Parrish Is it just me, or is the boy-band fad starting to fade? Sales numbers would seem to indicate that it's just me, but current record label activities would indicate otherwise, as the labels appear to have turned away from signing pop groups and back towards solo artists and rock bands. It's an intellectual question that will no doubt be debated on countless message boards, but it seems clear that at the very least, the novelty has worn off. From a purely artistic standpoint, one can't help but wonder, "Does this kind of market-sample tested, all-too-polished, pre-packaged music even matter?" On behalf of Plus One, the answer looks like a resounding "yes." Nate, Jason, Jeremy, Nathan, and Gabe seem to go out of their way on Obvious, the follow-up to their certified Gold debut album, The Promise, to prove that there's more "band" to this group than "boy." Writing on ten of the album's twelve tracks, and even contributing some production talents on a few songs, the guys try their hardest to buck the trends and make music that's original and engaging, but without abandoning the teenage audience that put them where they are. Most of the album's ballads are about as basic as they come, sounding like every other boy-band ballad ever recorded. But on the high-energy numbers, the guys show off a much heavier rock vibe than anything they've done before. The opening "Camouflage" testifies immediately to this, with a catchy, hard-edged chorus. Later, songs like "Under the Influence," "I Don't Care," "Kick Me," "Going Crazy," and the mid-tempo "Start to Fly" demonstrate that these guys really do know a thing or two about artistry, after all. And they offer great hope that this is one boy-band that may not follow in the here-today-gone-tomorrow footsteps of their peers. If their next album can continue this musical progression and take it even further (perhaps allowing the guys to pick up instruments of their own?), then their future in the industry might just be a sure-thing. All of that aside, Obvious is a suitably fun follow-up to The Promise that should satisfy the zillions of Plus One fans out there, lyrically addressing issues of particular relevance to modern teenagers. The kicker is how well the album pushes the boundaries of just what Pop music is, although I would have liked them to push that boundary even further (just as I'm sure there will be those who think they've already pushed it too far). But this is all academic. Obvious will inevitably follow in its predecessor's footsteps, achieving incredible heights of success. And as a spiritually sure-footed group, with scripturally-sound lyrics, Plus One's latest is an album I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to any teenager's parent. |