The Plan's debut album,
Nervous Energy, kicks off with a track guaranteed to make anyone who loves spiky, cerebral post-punk with giant hooks sit up and take notice. "Annotate the Text" is a short blast of jerky rhythms, chanted vocals, and jagged guitars that sounds like it could have been airlifted from 1980, right out of LiLiPUT's set list. The rest of the album follows suit, with a fine mixture of amped-up dancefloor rockers, thudding ballads, and off-kilter pop. The band is led by guitarist/vocalist Rebecca Gillieron of
Wetdog, and she gathered up some friends and relatives to help her make a record that's not too far from what
Wetdog usually do. Maybe a little less frantic and punchy, with a more subtle approach to songwriting and arrangements, but definitely quite similar. It's also very close to what a bunch of bands have done in the past, like in the faraway '70s, but also right around the time they released the record.
The Plan stand out from the crowd for a couple reasons, though. One is the strength of Gillieron's songs. They are short, tough, and catchy. Apart from "Annotate the Text," there are a bunch that would sound good following a song by
Delta 5 or
the Raincoats ("Dust," "Landline"), and some that either Deal sister would be glad to call hers ("Chorus," "Abbey Wood"). The band plays with the right amount of simple directness, never devolving into noise or taking an unnecessary detour. Songs get in and get out with the minimum amount of fuss. It's not a showy record, and it's not the most original, but it makes an impact all the same. ~ Tim Sendra