Plumerai – “Res Cogitans ” – [Silber Records]

Thurston Hunger   9/7/2006   A Library, CD

Boston four-piece plays like a quintet with guitarist Martin
Newman doubling up on keys as well. Elizabeth Ezell delivers
excellent un-easy vox. She’s got that nano-sheep ba-a-a-a-a
stutter that gets squeezed into tight spaces and syllables.
It kind of denotes anger and sorrow at the same time…the
music behind her definitely drops back a couple of decades
and a handful of hairdos. Hello phlanger, hello Joe Jackson,
hello tie with the black-and-white keys on it. Nah, that’s
too harsh…but the drums ARE tidy and timely, no mad dash
eruptions. The guitar IS jingle-plinky and yes soaked in
phlange. The synth sweeps ARE on vox presettica. Pseudo
xylophone lights up “Illuminata.” A kind of ska gallop with
arpeggio spurs winds up “Avernal.” UnEz E’s vocals are really
the highlight, looming large with these tiny torments of
lovelorn pop. Will the follow-up full-length to this song
EP be called “res extensa” and feature an expanded use of
more instrumentation and flavors? Or maybe dump the thinking
altogether for a more passionate play towards raw emotional
scorch and feedback.

-Thurston Hunger