Wonders of the Younger

Editors’ Notes Plain White T's celebrate youth with carnival-esque splendor on Wonders of the Younger. Their soft acoustic touch is highlighted in wistful ballads ("Airplane") and dusky pedal-steel melodies ("Killer"), and blends well with sparks of funky pop-punk ("Broken Record") and sunny folk-pop ("Rhythm of Love"). In between, they embrace their inner freaks—"Nothing worse than normal," Tom Higgenson declares on the Green Day-like march "Irrational Anthem"—and head to the circus via Sgt. Pepper-like whimsy on "Welcome to Mystery" and "Cirque Dans La Rue."