Plunge - Hometown Hero
by Benjamin Howarth
published: 25 / 2 / 2005
Label:
Atenzia
Format: CD
intro
Ghastly cliche-driven punk-pop from Balitmore-based three piece, Plunge
Oh God. Where do I start? Plunge are a trio. They are young, handsome (in a very typical way) and dress in skate punk clobber that is extremely fashionable to ‘alternative’ high school kids, and extremely unfashionable to, well, just about anybody else. With the help of some well paid record producers, who I would guess really believe they understand how to break into ‘the industry’, they have recorded an album called ‘Hometown Hero’. It is shit. Basically, Plunge think they are a pop punk band. So they aim for the simplicity of Blink 182. But they also want to go for a more serious market, so they beef up the guitars to sound a bit FM rock. The lyrics defy description. Less sixth form, more like primary school poetry. Pete Waterman would probably ask them to lose a few of the clichés. It really is horrible. Each song plods along, the guitar chugs away and the drummer plonks about, but never do they seem to be listening to what they’re doing. Throughout the album there is not one hook, not one zippy guitar line nor a bare hint of a melody. Listening to 'Hometown Hero' is a miserable experience. I tried not to think about all the talented bands I’ve seen, bands that dream of a recording budget half the size of Plunge’s, but I couldn’t help it. The fact that this CD has been released means somebody thinks it will be popular. If they want to get in touch, I’ll gladly bet them my entire bank balance, including overdraft, that it won’t be.
Track Listing:-
1 Running Away2 Wasted On Your Love
3 Hometown Hero
4 Part-time Girlfriend
5 Scared
6 Fall Into One
7 Ordinary Girl
8 One More Time
9 Stuck In Madison
10 Understand
11 Hope
12 Heaven
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewMarika Hackman - Big Sigh
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart