Plain White Ts - Hey There Delilah
Rating
RIYL
The Starting LineFall Out Boy
Midtown
Smartbomb
Label
FearlessTracklist
1. Hey There Delilah (New Version)2. Easy Way Out
3. Down The Road
4. Losing Myself
5. If I Told You
6. Hey There Delilah (Live at The Metro)
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Let me preface anything I could say about the Hey There Delilah EP by saying that I was already a fan of Plain White T’s before hearing it. I also profess to be a fan of the song “Hey There Delilah”. Having said that, I find the EP to be very lacking in offerings for anyone other than a well-established, highly devoted Plain White T’s fan. The revamped release of "Delilah" starts off the EP with a string section added to the album version of the track. Following it are four unreleased T’s tunes and a live version of "Delilah". Also included on the enhanced CD are a few videos in an attempt to sweeten the deal.
As previously stated, the first song on the EP is “Hey There Delilah” with the addition of strings for effect. Honestly, I’ve always liked "Delilah" as it was. It was a sweet, fragile song that sounded like it didn’t belong on the album All That We Needed. It felt as if the song was included as a little love note to a special someone, and we were all allowed to listen in. The simplicity of the original version really helped set the vulnerable tone and made the song seem sincere above all else. The new arrangement finds it sounding more like it was meant to be played at a wedding. What once had a hidden gem feel, now takes a “we think this should pull your heart strings” feel with clear intent to add to its radio appeal. (Think what Evanescence did to their song, “My Immortal” to up the radio spins.) If I had never heard the original, I confess that I would like this version of "Delilah", but it wouldn’t have ever hit me in such a meaningful way.
The next two songs on the album are “Easy Way Out” and “Down The Road”. They definitely fall under your standard fare for Plain White T’s. They have a B-side feel to them since neither really has a certain quirk or feature that tends to give character to the songs on All That We Needed. “Losing Myself” is the next in line, followed by “If I Told You”. These two songs actually stuck with me and found themselves getting replayed more than the rest. “If I Told You”, in particular, has a bandstand vibe to it. I easily picture it being played over a scene from a 50’s diner a la Weezer in their “Buddy Holly” video.
The EP finishes out with a live version of "Delilah" that really does little to impress. Rather than showcase their rocking out capabilities by choosing another song (“Sad Story”, “My Only One”, or “Revenge” all would’ve had my votes), they put a drowned out version of "Delilah" that annoys instead of impresses. While it is really cool for them to have written a song with such sing-along inducing lyrics, I’m in no rush to hear proof. The song is only mildly audible over the crowd’s loud, off-key, and off-time assistance. I, personally, don’t see myself ever listening to this track past the first time.
In the end, I think most fans would be fine just downloading the four unreleased tracks off of iTunes and leaving the actual CD for the die-hard fans that insist on owning everything. The guys in Plain White T’s definitely put out some listenable material, but the bang for the buck just isn’t there on this one.
--Jeremy Deal
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