A Whole New Plan
Late ’90s indie post punk heartthrobs The Dismemberment Plan have released their first studio album in 12 years, following a live record that announced their reunion in 2011, and it’s sure to make a fan out of you. Adorable, catchy and upbeat Uncanney Valley is the perfect step back into a constantly evolving genre, and while it feels overall a bit cleaner and tidier than their earlier music, this record sounds like a maturation rather than a divergence from their roots. The Dismemberment Plan and their fans have done a lot of growing in the past 20 years and the result is quite impressive.
Uncanney Valley opens with the super poppy, though a little lyrically twisted, “No One’s Saying Nothing” that is too fun not to make you listen to the rest of the record. Older fans needn’t worry though, this new album hasn’t completely abandoned The Plan’s stripped down, punk style, as seen in songs like “Invisible,” which sounds straight off their breakthrough record Emergency & I. Closing out with “Let’s Go To The Dogs,” Uncanney Valley ends in just as cute a way as it begins, and you’re guaranteed to want to start it right over again.
It seems like everywhere you look another ’90s band is reuniting, and some do it with more relevance and integrity than others, and The Dismemberment Plan has just provided a master class in stepping back out into the musical spotlight with Uncanney Valley. Longtime fans of the band will find both call backs to their older sound alongside their more mature sound, and newcomers will find the perfect jumping off point to exploring the rest of their catalog. This record isn’t just another in a string of boring, tired and over-saturated release from a band well past its prime; it sounds more like a whole new door opening for the Plan.
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