Wonders of the Younger, Universal***

In 2007, Plain White T's (the spelling is their doing, not ours) were just another power-pop band who had enjoyed success with a sweet little ditty dedicated to a girl named Delilah. In 2010, the Chicagoans are still "that band with that song", but their sixth record shows that they're capable of writing solid if unadventurous pop albums. Singer Tom Higgenson came up with the concept – capturing the sense of wonderment of a child – after seeing a Cirque du Soleil show. You can hear that theatrical influence on Welcome to Mystery, while Broken Recordand Make It Uptake their lead from classic Beatles-style pop. There are no surprises here, but Plain White T's occupy the middle ground between Green Day and McFly quite capably. See plainwhitets.com

Download tracks: Welcome to Mystery, Broken Record