Based out of Cape Town, The Plastics’ music sounds like it’s perpetually in sunshine (without ever getting sunburn). Their third full-length, In Threes, is a breezy run-through of illuminated pop gems; it’s a truly impressive assortment of highly polished power-pop with a continuously sharp melodic edge. Several tracks do tout some familiar comfort in terms of stylistic comparisons; the glitzy swagger of “All I Really Want” reminds of an Arctic Monkeys/Pulp hybrid (as good as it sounds), while “None of the Others” is reminiscent of Rooney’s debut (an underrated pop album) in its hook-filled looseness. But all in all, The Plastics churn out their own brand of effervescent power-pop, one that probably is more akin to The Flaming Lips’ earlier psych-pop digs, though with a more bustling and energetically illuminated pace.
In Threes is great from to start to finish, with all tracks being strong to the point where I wasn’t sure which track to lead with. What I think may best represent their sound is “Sun Scream”, a beautiful effort that has it all – a sing-able and sunlit chorus, stylishly conceived guitar-led bridge, and a pull for listeners to play it two, three, maybe four times in a row. Still, give the whole album a listen as well below; it’s a colorful and upbeat ride that any fan of well-made power-pop should not miss:
It’s so GOOD! The whole album..sounds like a shoegaze-y version of The Drums