Website: Plumb
The Inside Pulse:
Whether or not you’ve heard of the woman, Chaotic Resolve is the fourth album by low-key singer Plumb. Her approach is darker than your Ashlee Simpsons, but decidedly brighter than your Amy Lees. It’s a nice balance for capturing that market who feels they are deeper than mindless pop, but not quite enthusiastic about delving into the land of goth.
Chaotic Resolve encompasses a selected realm of styles, almost too eerily mimicking what TRL watchers are clamoring to hear. Non-whiny ballads, jumpy mindless dance songs, and the occasional deep thought permeate the album with a formula that one would typically assume would be eaten up by the mainstream. But it’s becoming quite the thick field out there; the question is whether Plumb has the mettle to rise above her competition and shine.
Positives:
Seamless radio-ready songwriting is all over Chaotic Resolve; from “Manic” and its enthusiastic rock rhythms to “Cut” and its balladeering references to self-mutiliation, so long as pop audiences continue to salivate over the current pop trends, this disc will fit in perfectly. Its biggest credit is that it does venture out of the box into some lyrically interesting territory; songs like “Good Behaviour” are particularly notable.
Negatives:
There’s a crime against originality in Plumb’s universe; where her voice is quite versatile and she does have the ability to pen a decent lyric, she’s still content to record some really dippy songs. Nothing on Chaotic Resolve is terrible, but songs about dancing (“Motion”) take away from her credibility. A little more differentiation from the pack of female rockers would be a great step for Plumb.
Crossbreed:
Kelly Clarkson sucking the edge off of Evanescence. (And really — this chick’s voice sounds a lot like Kelly Clarkson.)
Reason to buy:
You’re fond of the darker side of female-fronted pop rock, but are tired of the songs currently on the market.
