Album Review: The Getaway Plan - 'Other Voices, Other Rooms'

Even if you’ve never actually

listened to The Getaway Plan, there’s a good chance you would

have at least read about them in one of a dozen different music publications

in the last eighteen months. Before any of the members had even celebrated

their twenty first birthdays, TGP had a well received EP under

their belts, high rotation of said EP’s single on Triple J and they were hand picked to support a couple of bands called Taking

Back Sunday and The Used (you may have heard of them) on

their Australian tours. 

Achieving so much in such a

short amount of time can do many things to a band. They could burn out

and crumble under the pressure, or they can flourish and prove that

their first round successes was only a glimpse of what the group is

capable of. So which is it for The Getaway Plan? Having

listened to Other Rooms, Other Voices repeatedly, I’m confident

that TGP have done enough to impress their existing fan base,

but is it enough to catapult them to the upper echelon of Australian

rock? 

Lead track and the album’s

first single “Streetlight” is a fair indication of what a recording

venture in the US has done for The Getaway Plan’s sound. With

its slick pop sheen and guitar heavy choruses the song was an obvious

choice to release to radio, my only gripe being that at almost four

and a half minutes in length it probably drags a bit for your Joe Average Nova fan. Smart choice then to follow up with the about to be released

second single “Where The City Meets The Sea”. I’m sure anyone

who heard this song on the band’s 2007 appearance on MTV’sThe Lair will confirm that the melody has been stuck in their head

for the better part of six months, and the recorded version is just as

effective, with the production job courtesy of James Paul

Wisner complimenting the shimmering guitars and vocal melodies perfectly.

It’s here that we encounter

the record’s first hurdle, as “Sleep Spindles” is a somewhat mediocre

song compared to its predecessors, the reason being that when you’re

as vocally gifted as TGP front man Matthew you should refrain

from littering your songs with second rate screaming. Although the chorus

is catchy there’s nothing present in this tune to set it apart from

the 400 other groups having a crack at this genre. I can appreciate

that a full length album is a band’s chance to experiment but “New

Medicine” is another track that falls into the “not bad, but not

great” category. Sonically it sounds great, but as far as ballads go

it failed to hold my attention. 

After that momentary lapse

“Shadows” comes along and reminds you exactly why this band has

achieved so much in their short career. The keyboard flourishes, the

driving guitars and Matthew’s anthem like vocals are practically

begging for one thousand crazed fans to sing a long in agreement at

the next TGP show.  

There’s no doubt that the

selected singles from Other Rooms, Other Voices are impressive,

but there’s still a few kinks that the band need to work out of their

song writing by the time album number two rolls around. Expect to hear

a lot from these guys in 2008.

1. Other Voices/Other

   Rooms

2. Streetlight
3. Where The City Meets

   The Sea

4. Sleep Spindles
5. New Medicine (Stay

   With Me)

6. Shadows
7. A Lover’s Complaint

<