Plight should not be confused with their titular twins – a French power trio who also released a self-titled record, but back in 2019. I should know, I made this very mistake myself. No, what we have here is a fantastic and fiery half hour from the New York quartet. They’ve dropped a short, snappy outing comprising both sweet and sombre moments aplenty within its slowcore skeleton, and it’s an excellent follow-up to 2023’s Plastic Sun, but why dwell on the past? There’s enough audible nostalgia lurking on Plight; turn it up and get that head nodding.
“Hole in the Sky” kicks things off with a rising riff that feels almost like being catapulted in at a point of crescendo; we are launched right into the action and I’m here for it. No lengthy intro track, just a rhythmic building of drums that soon makes room for a crunchy riff and reclining melodic lead combo that hook you immediately. These riffs and many, many others across Plight will delight those who crave the hazy, grunge drawl that thrived in the late ‘90s/early 00’s, championed by the likes of Lit and Weezer in some of their more reclined songwriting.
Those slowcore genes run at a premium, with Matt Curtis and Anthony Perry teaming up to great effect over tasty melodic leads and inverted power chords that generously thicken the band’s already rich palette. I was also pleasantly tingled by the moments when Alden Farrar’s bass rumble heads further south than anticipated: low end that burrows into the subterranean is always a draw for me, especially when listening to styles of music that sometimes park their tunings a little too comfortably around the middle realms. It’s a nuanced touch, but makes a notable impact.
As we encounter our first taste of vocals in the form of a descending vocal line, a mild melancholia takes root. It hovers throughout Plight, adding to the moodiness that ebbs from the instrumentation, although harmony is used to excellent effect across the album’s entirety. This also helps to alleviate the glummer moments, elevating us from grunge’s darker, grittier recesses into more shimmering, full-blown rock territory. It’s a line that Plight straddle incredibly well, never dwelling too long in either musical shade or shine but always effortlessly keeping you interested in the ride. If you’re on the prowl for tunes that are boundary pushing, stuffed with virtuosic guitar solos, blast beats and angelic falsetto, keep looking. But a moderately paced paving slab of guitar-led grit to sink your teeth into and return to countless times without feeling bloated or drained? Look no further.
You see, in under half an hour it itches all the right spots as a cracking little firework of throwback noise to bounce around to (or, more realistically, repeatedly lurch your head back and forth to with a wide grin). Its 26 minutes are an homage some of the stalwarts of 20, even 30 years ago, while firmly rooted in the temperaments of the current day. Moreover, it leaves a charming mark, with melodies meandering and choruses proving themselves undeniable earworms – something evidenced by my absentminded recollective humming hours after switching off from my first listen.
There are even emo undertones scattered here and there – I’m looking at you, “Right for Rain” and “Save Yourself”. Whether Plight intend to incorporate more of this direction in future music is uncertain, but these modest, softened inclusions retain the same wistful vibe and appeal amongst their more dishevelled counterparts, switching up the dynamics without losing momentum. The album powers along right up to the lumbering, thick guitar of closer “Lying Dogs” – a wonderful melding of all these personalities, closing out our brief but raucous time together through softly crooned lines over the crashing strikes of Alex Hadjiloukas’s tireless efforts to split cymbals and break drum skins with his energetic kit work.
‘The same shit since ‘94’ comes the refrain in “Save Yourself”. It may speak of tired and trodden traits, but this self-titled effort from Plight is anything but worn. For the linguistically inclined, ‘plight’ is usually associated with a particularly bad or unfortunate situation. However, it can also mean a solemn pledge or promise made in good faith. Having run through this record over dozen times in the past week, I can assure you that skipping this sharp, vibrant slice of noise would indeed be an example of the former definition…and you can take that as my example of the latter.
