★★★★
Plini is that rare kind of guitar virtuoso: the kind with utterly stunning technical chops rivalled only by his compositional sense.
For some guitarists that means writing catchy songs with traditional forms, but in Plini’s case it means every track evolves and grows like an orchestral piece or soundtrack.
On his admittedly short debut full-length album, Plini further develops the compositional brilliance of his EPs. The soundscapes are lush and the rhythms are addictively physical drum-along-in-the-car’ tracks, but what stands out most is the lyrical confidence and melodic strength of Plini’s guitar playing.
It’s also a very diverse record: if you’re into metal you’ll be instantly at home with the power of the guitar rhythms, but if you’re approaching from more of a modern alt-rock direction you’ll appreciate the textures and melodies. Essentially, you don’t need to be a guitar nerd to get something out of this record: you merely need to be a music lover, someone who appreciates rhythms and powerful, cheese wire taut choruses.
Plini is still incredibly early into his career and if he’s making music of such world-class quality on his first full-length record, then, well we’re in for a hell of a journey.
Plini’sHandmade Citiesis released independently and available at Bandcamp.
