The World at large - Grand Plans For Strange Things

The World At Large

Grand Plans For Strange Things
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Mat Jensen

The World At Large is a four-piece indie rock outfit consisting of Andy P (drums), Dan Pancrazio (bass, backing vocals), Dom Lorusso (guitar, saxophone, vocals) and Tim Chamberlain (guitar, piano, banjo, vocals) that recently released their debut album entitled Grand Plans for Strange Things. The band released three EPs prior, which created a good amount of buzz about the band. Grand Plans for Strange Things is a girthy full-length at 13 tracks but it never feels like a chore to get through the songs due in part to the poppy, often light-hearted songs they create. The band isn't particularly flashy or innovative but they have a great sound that they have nailed down that is conducive to delightful pop songs that get stuck in your head. 

It’s quite apparent that the band cares more about the songs then their individual parts. They work together to create songs that never feel like they are trying too hard. The songs breathe and have a loose feel to them, which makes them perfect to spin at almost any occasion. 

The album opens with “Broke Down in Batsto,” which is an accurate introduction to the band. It’s an energy-filled rock song with distorted guitars, crashing drums, bass and background vocals  (you will find a lot of background vocals throughout the album which they seem to use as a staple). I enjoyed the first song but the second track “Big Bad World” is a single-worthy memorable track that you will be singing along to by the time you hear the chorus. “Walking On Fire” contained a memorable bass line while “Sand Castles” revolves around infectious vocal harmonies, intricate clean guitar and some of the best drumming on the album. 

The album closes with “Written In Stone,” which displays the most impressive songwriting and solidifies the sound the band demonstrates on the album. Grand Plans for Strange Things is a good album but every song doesn't strike gold. The band has a very refined sound that they don't deviate from and depending on how you look at this it can be a good thing or bad thing. There isn't much of an element of surprise with this album but you will surely find a couple of songs that you may be itching to hear again. Overall, this was an enjoyable album but I would love to see what else the band might have up their sleeve in the future.

official website

bandcamp