The way music is released has begun to shift. Though albums are still an enormous part of the culture (and always will be), some bands are moving into a more consistent and lengthy release process, stringing together regular singles and EP’s to better take advantage of the algorithmic social media age. The Plot In You are one of those bands, back again with another instalment of their episodic releases in the form of ‘Vol. 3’. If you liked the first two releases, you’re bound to like this one, too.
Like the two volumes that preceded it, ‘Vol. 3’ is three songs long, providing another snapshot of the band’s creativity in a roughly 12 minute blast. This particular volume leans heavily into the melodic side of their sound while ensuring their aggressive characteristics remain intact. For example, opener ‘Been Here Before’ is almost post-hardcore in its delivery, with punchy and upbeat rhythms driving the uplifting guitars and anthemic yet gritty vocal melodies skyward. If you dive into this EP without context it feels like an odd choice for an opener, but if you listen to it right after ‘Vol. 2’ it picks up exactly where ‘All That I Can Give’ left off. That, my friends, is what we call a big brain move.
That melodic vibes continue with ‘Pretend’, one of the band’s most emotionally charged tracks to date. It feels as though it’s been written with the live space in mind, borrowing tricks from the likes of Thirty Seconds To Mars and reshaping them to fit their own mould. It’s given the track an arena-like feel, the layered chorus vocal transporting you right into a packed out venue while the intricate guitars and lush atmospheric textures form a comfort blanket to wrap yourself in. Then comes the closing number, ‘Spare Me’, where the band’s more volatile side shows its face for the first time. The chugs are industrial and menacing, every stab feeling as though it towers above you, with the stunning falsetto choruses providing some much needed respite from the intensity. That respite isn’t enough to prepare you for the breakdown, though. Absolutely terrifying, blood curdling stuff.
If you listen to how The Plot In You sounded in 2010 in comparison to how they sound now, it’s almost a completely different band. If you listen to every release though, from then all the way up to now, you can hear the evolution. The band have finally become headliners in the UK – something that’s been long overdue – and it’s down to their grasp on their sonic development, especially in recent years. These volumes are a testament to that, all of them possessing their own character but not sounding out of place next to one another. ‘Vol. 3’ peels back another layer of their DNA, still experimenting and expanding over a decade into their career, and it somehow feels like the surface of what they’re capable of has barely been scratched. A short release, sure, but a very sweet one indeed.
DAVE STEWART