Fiction Plane is more than just ‘OK’

Christina Baumgardner

Imagine a band that really cares about making good, complex music and strives to surprise you at every bend. Having trouble? Perhaps that’s because today’s system of sure-fire, predictable pop music encourages anything but originality. Well, Fiction Plane noticed the void, and they’re here to save the world of music.

In the tradition of bands like Coldplay and Filter, this three-piece rock band calls London home and likes to rock in a way that would make proud all the British rock stars that have come before them. Their new album is entitled, “Everything Will Never Be OK,” and although Fiction Plane is not a new band, this album marks their debut on MCA Records.

Kicking off the album is the upbeat, rhythmic song, “Listen to My Babe.” Joe Sumner, frontman and songwriter for the group, croons about his babe, or lack thereof, with a passion that lets the listener experience his pain, while the wailing guitars assure us that he really means it. The title track, “Everything Will Never Be OK,” is another catchy song, though while the attitude is naturally negative, it seems as though Joe has accepted the fact that life disappoints.

In fact, for the majority of the album, Fiction Plane strives to be upbeat, and yet simultaneously dark, in a “the world sucks but we’re prepared to deal with it” kind of way. This philosophical view of the world can be a double-edged sword sometimes; it’s often uplifting that the boys are dealing with their pain so well, yet at times the listener just wishes that they could be happy for once!

Luckily for Fiction Plane, any annoyances which arise as a result of their occasional whining are forgotten as they soothe you with their solid melodies and smooth grooves. Swelling guitar licks constantly fade in and out, never ceasing to drive the songs to unpredictable destinations.

It would be wrong to make the fatal mistake of thinking that Sumner, on lead vocals and guitar, is the only one who deserves credit for these rolling melodies. On bass and back-up vocals, Dan Brown only adds to the complexity of Fiction Plane’s catchy, yet anti-pop hooks. The mad skills Seton Daunt brings to the band only make you wish every rock band had the versatility that having two guitars allows.

In the song “Hate,” Fiction Plane proves that despite their often mellow approach to music, they’ll always want to rock, and the guys are successful. Sumner and Brown sing that they “…hate things, hate people,” but the music lets us know that they’re enjoying it.

On March 11, “Everything Will Never Be OK” will be released to the general public. Unfortunately, it’s unpredictable what kind of music fans will be inclined to purchase this album, but hopefully those looking for something fresh will find what they’re looking for in Fiction Plane.

Villanova students will be able to catch a preview of the band on Feb. 15, when they open for Something Corporate in the Jake Nevin Field House.