Plumb's self-titled 1997 debut record was a wonderful collection of dark alternative anthems, dipped in moody guitars and synthesizers. Unfortunately, their latest effort, candycoatedwaterdrops, could serve as a definition for the term "sophomore slump."
The album starts out well enough with the stunning "Late Great Planet Earth," complete with the London Symphony Orchestra's string section conducted by Tom Howard. Regrettably, the album then plummets into the doldrums immediately after the closing notes of that track. The next song, "Stranded," was originally released as a work-in-progress on Essential's Viva 1999 compilation. I wish they had kept it that way. It was a beautiful song with moody instrumentation perfectly matching heartbreaking lyrics, but the album version features something which should be banned from pop music permanently: the drum machine. To make matters worse, it is a particularly disgusting drum machine sound, too, which distracts from the song completely. The lyrics, however, are still wonderful:
You know it only breaks my heart
To see you standing in the dark alone
Waiting there for me to come back
I'm too afraid to show.
If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to sea
And I wanna be with you
And you wanna be with me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
And I don't wanna be stranded.
Many of the other lyrics on candycoatedwaterdrops do not live up to this potential. In fact, this time around main songwriter and singer Tiffany Arbuckle has taken a more mainstream CCM approach to lyric-writing. Take this excerpt from "God-Shaped Hole," co-written by Wayne Kirkpatrick (of Michael W. Smith fame):
There's a God-shaped hole in all of us
And the restless soul is searching
There's a God-shaped hole in all of us
And it's a void only He can fill
The metaphor of the "God-shaped hole" has been used far too often, by far too many inferior bands, to be effective at all. This low standard of lyrical quality is the reason some listeners denounce Christian music forever.
The album is exceptionally well-produced, with layers of instruments mixed seamlessly with Arbuckle's attractive vocals. Still, good production doesn't make up for poor songwriting. Plumb does, however, show remarkable potential in both their songwriting, and their musicianship, and I believe that they could be a truly excellent band. Here's hoping that their next album will take greater advantage of their talents and forego the drum machine.
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #77Reviewed by Amanda NelsonPlumb's new album has a warm and wonderful airy quality. The vocal performance is also top notch. The title song, "Candy Coated Water Drops," is a beautiful song lyrically and musically. A little girl opens the song "Here With Me," by singing "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands." The contrast of the little girl is very effective, because "Here With Me" is one of the more intense songs on the…7ball #24Reviewed by Brian Quincy NewcombWith its sophomore effort, Plumb portends to reveal an organic modern rock unit in the process of growth and self-definition. The five-piece band fronted by vocalist Tiffany Arbuckle has undergone two personnel changes since its debut, and through that has honed a smoothly crafted pop sound. But candycoatedwaterdrops sounds more like a singer/producer record shaped specifically with contemporary…Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by Joel ThomasI liked Plumb's first (self-titled) album. It had a sound not unlike the band Garbage, and it had enough special effects and synthesized surprises to keep me listening. I saw them on tour with Jars of Clay in early '98, and while I really enjoyed it, I saw a lot of potential for the band to become a really top-notch act. Sure, the debut Plumb was a little forgettable in places, but it left me…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinPlumb's second album is more of a slight slide than a certified sophomore slump: a mixed bag of confections where most songs surprise while others are served too sticky sweet, straight from the factory of CCM schlock. Tiffany Arbuckle's indistinct vocals float pleasantly above these tracks, as candycoatedwaterdrops steers further away from Plumb's original brand of eclectic alterna-trip-hop and…Similar sounding releases
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