The Park Plan “Junior Achievement” Album Review

• 

The Park Plan
Junior Achievement
Self Released
Release Date October 17

The Park Plan are a four piece alternative rock/pop group from Pittsburgh, PA. They
played their first show in November 2014 and they released their two track EP
Visitors which was recorded live at Teen Regime Studios. The members also play in
several other bands. In June of 2015, Joe Tarowsky joined the line-up, replacing
original guitar player Eric Gorman.

Junior Achievement is a four track EP consisting of three songs with the title track
being an instrumental. Their sound is quite original, with elements of various alt.
rock bands combined with aspects of surf pop, such as the low end guitar sound. The
understated, haunting vocals of Adam Jannon-Fischer give an emotional gravity, while
Jenn Jannon-Fischer’s sometimes angular, dissonant bass playing is comparable to Sonic
Youth’s Kim Gordon in her playing style.

Opening track “Gender Gap” is a mysterious but excellent start with shifting time
signatures, and exotic Phrygian mode guitar lines over which Jannon Fischer lays
down a fine vocal. Drummer Ian White excels on this track with some complex
rhythms deployed.

“White Noise” is more towards the melodic pop side of their ouevre that has an almost
60’s vibe and lovely guitar lines that weave throughout the song that brought to mind
“Coming Around” by Travis.

“Good Guy With A Gun” is reminiscent of “Daydream Nation” era Sonic Youth with a
driving guitar riff doing battle with a leftfield baseline and it’s the most exciting track
here. The closing title track is an unexpected instrumental, but a very good one that
showcases their musicality and chemistry as a band.

Overall, this is a very good EP that showcases a band who’ve found their own musical
niche and put an interesting and quirky spin on alternative rock. This is certainly more
than a ‘junior achievement’ and they have the potential to become something
significant.

You can catch The Park Plan this Saturday, October 17 at Howlers for their EP release show,
with Dumplings, Murder for Girls and Brazilian Wax at 9PM.

Review by Alex Faulkner for SSE