Plankeye

Item: Relocation
Author: Ben Mengden

Relocation

(1999)

Reviewed by Ben Mengden

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Label BEC RecordingsHM Magazine #78July 1999

alternative rock indie rock pop rock power pop

There's two questions that come to mind: Do they sound like Plankeye? And Is the album any good? Let's hold off on the answers for just a moment. I've had the good fortune of digging this band's stuff for a while. I personally think this band has been amazingly influential within their musical domain. The gradual move from edgy / punky / indie rock to more indie rock / pop rock was an interesting journey. The One and Only was so much more radio pop than anything they had done. A huge transformation was taking place. Sure, Commonwealth was an obvious predecessor to that, and a large departure from the edgy Spark album and even further from the gutty Spill album. But The One and Only concreted Plankeye into a new sound.

I don't know what was a greater adjustment: Scott Silletta leaving (for those who don't know- Plankeye's distinctive lead singer Silletta left after the highly acclaimed The One and Only) or this transition into pop. Plankeye was one of the rougher voices we could identify with in a scene filled with polished, uppity sounds. Every fan responds differently to change in a band's sound, just as every band changes differently. So, let this album be no different. No matter what is said about this album, I believe that it should stand on its own. There is too much that factors into things to compare it to the past stuff.

To answer one of the questions quickly, Relocation is reminiscent of some of their stuff but is predominantly a completely different species. I've been listening to Relocation for a few weeks now. Easy to love this melodic, gentle, (mostly) pop album. And it's the melodies that makes this album. I guess with pop albums, it has to be. There is nice guitar work with some standard tones; pretty far removed from punk. Some radio-sounding stuff and some poppy, emo-style guitar work (ie. Promise Ring, Pop Unknown but not as intricate or memorable or showcased - with some exceptions, especially "Say Now That You're Sorry" and "I Can't Complain"). Nice vocals. Both guys do some singing. The voices are pretty good and some nice harmonies. "Honey And Oil" sounds closer to the old Plankeye than any song on the album (there I go comparing) and shows some of the vocal diversity on the album. There is a lot of "OooWooHoo, OooWooHoo" type stuff, which reminds everyone of the pop-i-ness. Each part is pretty standard . . . nothing crazy or amazingly inventive, but all excellently played / performed. Its excellence isn't in something exotic or foreign, but it's not quite what you are hearing on the radio. Pleasant sounds, which calm and woo, instead of rile you up. Relocation is unique in its breadth. It almost seems like they wanted to try some new things. Each song is a new exploration in just a little bit different sound. There are common threads, but I've heard albums that are almost the same song all the way through. This is not one of them, which makes it an intriguing album to listen to.

There are some beautiful slow songs ("Goodbye," "Break My Fall," "Indivisible" and "You Are For Me"), which is quite a few. Very little of the album is heavy in the way many of the HM readers appreciate. I'm a hard a music fan and still find Relocation in my regular spin. There are some faster songs. The lead-off track, "Say Now That You're Sorry," hooks the listener right away. Melody and some umph in the guitar work; lead this song as a hit. In this age of the new, underground pop, this album has joined the movement. There is enough background and sound difference to not be totally pop without cool. Or maybe it's that it is so completely pop we are not used to it in this alternative world. It somehow retains some of its indie rock sound, but it's very hard to explain exactly where. Some songs are even reminiscent of earlier Christian Contemporary stuff that you could easily have heard Michael W Smith play. But the guitars and some of the melodies and effects hold the sound in this trend that is making its way to your door. The late great Plankeye has died, and the new (and quite possibly just as great) Plankeye has taken the stage. I hope people will take this album for what it is. What a good spin. I will play this one for quite a while.