Apparently The Plurals have been pushing their brand of noise-pop — dubbed “post-fun” by the band — since about 2004. From the info online I’ve got no idea how many records they’ve released. A whole bunch of EPs according to last.fm. I’m not sure whether The Plurals Today, The Plurals Tomorrow: A Futurospective is a first, second or third album, or even whether it’s all new material rather than a collection of existing stuff.
This is a convoluted way of saying that if you’re an existing fan of The Plurals this review isn’t for you. It’s for people like me, to whom A Futurospective is a first introduction to the band. Hi, people like me! You may be interested to know that “post-fun” music essentially comprises scrappy, affectedly messy garage-punk with some lush poppy melodies, scruffy harmonies, snarled and drawled vocals and delightfully imprecise lead guitar work. This is not music for those obsessed with tightness; it’s fast and loose and fun. The band’s a trio, as pictured above, and all three members contribute vocal duties alongside the expected drum / bass / guitar setup.
There’s a great sense of fun and humour in every aspect of this album; the musicianship, lyrics and songwriting. It seems pretty clear that this band exists to have a good time and share some laughs, whilst also producing some genuinely compelling and entertaining music. The party begins with ‘La La La’, which between lyrics like “drinking alone in this room feels so special” shifts quickly between pleasant, clean melodic moments and more frenetically scruffy bits. Some of the vocal lines – here expressed best as “la da-da da daa” – sound strangely familiar. I can’t place this one, but it occurs to me that a similarly catchy vocal line in third track ‘Crush’ is startlingly similar to the chorus melody of Green Day’s ‘Longview’. It’s almost certainly accidental but there’s some common ground between pre-breakthrough Green Day and the Plurals; that playfulness and slacker cool.
There are a few moments where a little more seriousness comes through, though it’s always framed in a fun way. ‘Squagel’ is a bit more sombre and sensitive than other songs on A Futurospective, with the singer stating “I’d rather shake my hips than punch the air” and asking “what it means to be a man”. What better way to challenge conformity to gender identity than dancing?
The absolute highlight of this record, though, is the final track ‘Happy Songs’. My notes on it say only “love this tune! HAPPY SONGS!” Which pretty much says it all; it’s catchy as hell with a repeated chorus refrain that’s almost impossible to not sing along to. And thanks to the band’s endearingly loose and rough approach to their noise-pop, you won’t care how flat you sound or how much your voice cracks. Just enjoy these happy songs.
Facebook | ReverbNation | Good Time Gang Recordings