The Lost Archives Surfacing the reviews of our forgotten youth
    7ball #16
    7ball #16/Plankeye
    Plankeye — The One And Only cover

    Plankeye

    The One And Only

    Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh

    Listen on Apple Music
    Label BEC Recordings7ball #16January/February 1998
    punknew waverock

    The One And Only begins with a glorious blast of pounding drums, a wailing harmonica, and a bouncing guitar riff which announces through the song "Someday" that Plankeye has once again hit the bull's-eye with its piercingly sharp rock 'n' roll. Plankeye's sound is an unlikely mixture of punk passion, hyperactive new wave, and simple, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll. The instruments are distinctive and balanced, without ever sounding studio sterile. The songs rock hard, yet never lose those all-important poppy melodic hooks. Many of these songs grew out of the kinds of struggles which inevitably accompany a band that is experiencing the kinds of growing pains which Plankeye has faced over the past few years. It's graduated from the small halls to the theaters, and its members have had to grow up to meet these new challenges. With each new step up the ladder, the decisions get bigger, and each of these has lasting consequences. This puts strains on the members which alternate between pulling them apart and knitting them back together again. These kinds of emotional surgeries are well detailed with the songs on The One And Only. "It's Been So Very Long" grapples with the notion of what it means to be a man who is in a relationship with a woman. Sometimes this maturation involves learning how to "Compromise," and how to behave in the real world, instead of playing by "Playground" rules. "Let's Try Again Tomorrow" documents a time where the band argued so vehemently that it almost forgot what it was like to be a free and easy rock band that could just "fall down laughing" in the face of difficulties. Instead, they had to learn to forgive each other, and start all over in the morning. Plankeye is an oddity in that it retains its zesty youthful enthusiasm as it matures. It expresses this progress with a lot of nervous energy; energy which often gets in its way of making any headway. Or, as Scott Silletta sings, "Put a muzzle on my mouth when I get so very anxious." It's OK to calm down a little, fellas, but don't ever put a muzzle on this great rock 'n' roll energy. In spite of its complex obstacle course of a career path, Plankeye's musical aim is always true.

    More from Plankeye

    Plankeye — Strange ExchangePlankeye — CommonwealthPlankeye — RelocationPlankeye — The Spark

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