Hypocritical dressers

Some artists are content with playing serenely in the background. Others prefer center stage.

The Plain White T's won't settle for less than the listener's full attention.

The T's have earned a reputation as one of the hardest-touring bands on the Fearless Records label, performing up to 250 shows in a year. They will be raiding the Buffalo Icon stage on Wednesday evening with their textbook brand of tattered-and-worn pop rock to promote their latest release, "All That We Needed."

"Wake up in the morning/ long way from home/ alarm clock is a warning/ I'm still alone/ set up for a letdown/ open my eyes/ new name for the same town," lead vocalist Tom Higgenson sings on "Sing My Best" from "All That We Needed."

Higgenson's songwriting style candidly reflects straightforward experiences from his own life, mainly focusing on lyrical themes of love and heartbreak while incorporating them into frenetic guitar rhythms and systematic percussion.

"I try to write songs that are going to be both catchy and meaningful at the same time. We've found a good mix of honesty and sincerity with catchy and poppy," Higgenson said in a phone interview.

Over the past two years, the T's have toured with Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard, Sugarcult, Fall Out Boy, and Story of the Year. They also plan to play numerous dates on this summer's Vans Warped Tour.

With the demanding touring schedule, finding time to sit down and write can be arduous, but Higgenson uses the time on tour to drive away potential writer's block.

"When we're on the road for a few months, I won't be able to write, but when I get home, it all comes out. I'll write like five songs in only two weeks," Higgenson said.

The members of the T's hail from Chicago, taking musical cues from bands sharing their hometown such as Veruca Salt, Triple Fast Action and the Smashing Pumpkins. An assortment of influences has helped the band formulate an inventive sound that mixes punk, folk and retro-rock.

"There's not just one way to describe us. I guess if you put the Strokes, Jimmy Eat World, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Alanis Morissette and Weezer all together, you'd get the Plain White T's," Higgenson said.

"All That We Needed" signals a maturation of the band's sound from their debut album "Stop," which was released in 2003. The T's layer guitar riffs upon percussion and weaving vocals creating a synthesis of sound.

Despite the instrumental change, Higgenson has remained faithful to his accessible lyrical approach.

"The more personal and honest I am, the more relatable it will be. I put more of an effort on this album to write for the fans, but I still wanted it to be meaningful for me," Higgenson said.

The sophomore effort also takes a shot at poignancy on the album's last track, "Hey There Delilah." Higgenson softly pleads for affection to the backing of a sole acoustic guitar, presenting a previously unknown side of the band's front man.

"I know times are getting hard/ but just believe me girl/ someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar ... A thousand miles seems pretty far/ but they've got planes and trains and cars/ I'd walk to you if I had no other way," Higgenson sings on "Hey There Delilah."

With a rigorous touring schedule and two albums on the shelves, the Plain White T's show no signs of slowing down. They take the stage at the Buffalo Icon Wednesday evening with fellow rockers The Matches.