By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Late last year, I got the immense pleasure of discovering the band The Plot in You for the first time. It was actually with their single "Feel Nothing" for their album that I'm reviewing now. I went back in this band's discography, and they've had an interesting evolution that's somewhat comparable to Bring Me the Horizon. This band started off as pretty intense metalcore, even right up until their 2015 release. With this new album, "Dispose", TPIY have opted for a more accessible hard rock/electronic rock sound. The results of this experimentation work immensely. This release is raw and often very dark. It has powerful themes of inner brokenness and seeing the darker parts of other people. That can make this album a tough listen, but it's a very powerful one full of clear talent from every band member.
This album comes out swinging with the electronic heavy track "Rigged". This opening track is definitely one of the most experimental on the album. It has an industrial feel to it, which works in the song's favor. A dark atmosphere is created, which compliments this song's rough, angry lyricism. I get the feeling that this song could be a turn-off for many, but I think you need to give this one plenty of chances. In my opinion, this song is superb. You can feel the anger emanating from lead vocalist Landon Tewers. He does a great job at alternating between singing and screaming. Often, his singing sounds just as intense and impassioned as his screams. The next track, "Not Just Breathing", is one my personal favorites on this album. The combination of booming electronics and a memorable guitar riff make this one stand out as a prime example of what this band are capable of. The chorus on this song is huge and charged with passion. The lyrics are also interesting in this song, as Landon paints a vivid picture of this girl who made him feel so broken inside: "She only cares about the way she looks/Can't think for herself she's just a frame/A body dwelling on this earth/A user of the desperate and the vain". Something I appreciate about this album is how candid Landon is in his writing. It can be very uncomfortable to see a vocalist putting their pain so explicitly out there for the listener to hear, but it also feels like I could connect with his struggles. I think his vocal style is very unique, and it works so well against this style. I do wish TPIY had done a few more tracks in this vein on the album, but I'm glad that at least when they did do it, they were doing it perfectly.
Speaking of displaying uncomfortably vulnerable emotion, "One Last Time" does this as well. My jaw dropped to the floor when I heard this song the first time. It already has a gorgeously rendered beginning with the incorporation of strings. But, man, the chorus of this song is what really sells it. Landon's voice goes between singing and screaming, as he pleads out these lyrics: "Tell me one last time/That I never tried". On initial look, those lyrics could be viewed as simplistic. But the way in which Tewers sings them is devastating. The music backing this song is great as well, but Tewers is really the star of the show here. "Feel Nothing" was the single that got me into this band, and while this song isn't actually one of the top best on the album, I still love it. Its balance between blasting synths and searing guitars is well-executed. The chorus is very easy to head bang along to. I think this one will definitely have the audience hyped up in a live setting. When you listen to this track, you'll be able to understand why. If you're looking for a chorus that is criminally catchy, look no further than "The One You Loved". This song is straight-forward rock, and I love it for that reason. Rock will always be the genre I'm biased to, so a song that nails it in the right way will get praise from me. This song is certainly radio-ready, but it isn't cliched. The verses especially still bleed emotion, as Landon actually lets his voice crack and show some imperfection in it. "Paid In Full" is easily the most intense song on the album. Josh Childress's frantic guitar playing and Mathis Arnell's thrashing drum patterns are definitely the highlights here, along with Landon screaming his heart out in the chorus.
My favorite track off "Dispose" definitely comes in "The Sound". This song isn't the most crazy in terms of musicality. In fact, it's fairly stripped down, with only Tewers's vocals and an acoustic guitar dominating the song. But, the emotion in this song is practically tangible. The pain expressed in this song is done in a way that is very natural, and it actually made me tear up a bit. The lyrics only serve to lift the emotion up even more: "You feel it, eyes racing, my feet were buried in the ground/My chains break and I can't take the sounds/I don't feel like I still have anything to hold me here/My steps fade and she can't take the sound". I got the feeling that Landon was at the end of his rope in this song. This song creates a feeling that you are invading on a private moment. That makes the emotion all the more heart wrenching for me. What really sold me on this song, though, was the saxophone that came in at the end. It was totally unexpected, but it works so well. This song is so unique in the hard rock/metal scene as a whole, and it will most likely be one of my favorite songs of the year. It's interesting that this album is book ended by its two most experimental songs. Like "Rigged", "Disposable Fix" feels very different to what the rest of this album has to offer. But I think that's actually a good thing. This song's climactic ending with the powerful guitar riff makes this album end out on a high note.
There are only a couple of weaker moments on this album. The weakest song is definitely "I Always Wanted to Leave". I don't really like anything about this song. The chorus is way too cliched in its breakup themes. The verses are somewhat annoying with Landon utilizing his falsetto. I just don't think this delivery works at all against the overly polished soundscape. Maybe it would've worked with a more raw production value. It just seems odd that the band chose to only do that contrast on this song. "Happy" is a weird and mainly pointless transition track. It just uses a lot of static effects and vocal distortions. This album would've been no different without it. Finally, I think this album could've used more than ten songs. But, honestly, when so many of the songs are so stellar, that's not a very big complaint.
I am always excited when I hear any band doing something new and interesting in the rock scene. The Plot in You have done just that. This release has memorable song after memorable song. The emotion on display throughout this album just feel so natural. There was hardly a moment in this release where I wasn't thinking that Landon was being incredibly compelling in telling his story. This album is not an easy listen by any means, as it has undeniably dark content and heavy themes. But, I think it is an important and valuable listen. Not only is this one of the most interesting rock releases I've listened to, but this album certainly has potential to be one of my top 10 albums of the year!
Favorite Songs: "The Sound", "Not Just Breathing", "One Last Time", "The One You Loved", "Rigged"
Least Favorite Songs: "I Always Wanted to Leave", "Happy"
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