The Phantom Tollbooth
 

Candycoatedwaterdrops
Artist:  Plumb
Label:  Essential
Length:  11 tracks /  43:55 minutes

Plumb's self-titled 1997 debut record was a wonderful collection of dark alternative anthems, dipped in moody guitars and synthesizers. Unfortunately, their latest effort, Candycoatedwaterdrops, could serve as a definition for the term "sophomore slump."

The album starts out well enough with the stunning "Late Great Planet Earth," complete with a the London Symphony Orchestra's string section conducted by Tom Howard. Regrettably, the album then plummets into the doldrums immediately after the closing notes of that track. The next song, "Stranded," was originally released as a work-in-progress on Essential's Viva 1999 compilation. I wish they had kept it that way. It was a beautiful song with moody instrumentation perfectly matching heartbreaking lyrics, but the album version features something which should be banned from pop music permanently: the drum machine. To make matters worse, it is a particularly disgusting drum machine sound, too, which distracts from the song completely. The lyrics, however, are still wonderful:

Many of the other lyrics on Candycoatedwaterdrops do not live up to this potential. In fact, this time around main songwriter and singer Tiffany Arbuckle has taken a more mainstream CCM approach to lyric-writing. Take this excerpt from "God-Shaped Hole," co-written by Wayne Kirkpatrick (of Michael W. Smith fame): The metaphor of the "God-shaped hole" has been used far too often, by far too many inferior bands, to be effective at all. This low standard of lyrical quality is the reason some listeners denounce Christian music forever.

The album is exceptionally well-produced, with layers of instruments mixed seamlessly with Arbuckle's attractive vocals. Still, good production doesn't make up for poor songwriting.  Plumb does, however, show remarkable potential in both their songwriting, and their musicianship, and I believe that they could be a truly excellent band. Here's hoping that their next album will take greater advantage of their talents and forego the drum machine.

Michial Farmer  (5/12/99)


 

Plumb's second album is more of a slight slide than a certified sophomore slump:  a mixed bag of confections where most songs surprise while others are served too sticky sweet, straight from the factory of CCM schlock.
 
Tiffany Arbuckle's indistinct vocals float pleasantly above these tracks, as Candycoatedwaterdrops steers further away from Plumb's original brand of eclectic alterna-trip-hop and more toward a straight-forward alterna-pop mix. Skirting even closer to Sixence None the Richer and Jars of Clay territory, the songs seem more calculated than creative. The album begins and ends well. Opener, "Late Great Planet Earth" is the sort of energetic Sioxsie & the Banshees-type wailer Plumb did exceedingly well on their debut, and the title track that closes the set fades out with a favorable Over the Rhine style. Everything in between, however, is up for grabs, and generally less upbeat but no less pop than their previous efforts.
 
Most of the winners are only warmly inviting, and none of the losers are overly grating--this is not an album of extremes. Gratefully, for every cliché-ridden song like "God-Shaped Hole," there is a superb one like "Drugstore Jesus," that is as beautiful as it is ambitious. And "Damaged" takes a touching, honest, and hopeful look into the heart of abuse victims. The production is topnotch and the London Symphony Recording Orchestra arranged and conducted by Tom Howard is an appealing addition on many of these songs but is no substitute for guitars, which take a back seat on this outing.
 
Candycoatedwaterdrops was clearly intended to be even more marketable than the last album, and I predict even greater success and appeal for the band. Although sometimes wanting in overall originality, the fact remains that Plumb still pleases with really good pop songs.
 
 Steven S. Baldwin (5/24/99)