With their early EP release in 2006, Boston-based Plumerai had driven up quite the excitement due to a unique blend of PJ Harvey Style vocals from the husky voiced Elizabeth Ezell and The Cure style shoegaze/ dark wave accompanying music from band Martin and James Newman and Todd Richards. A creation that promised more than the length of the EP could handle.
At long last Without Number is upon us, Plumerai’s latest release and thankfully still full of the charm, if not more so, of its predecessor, no doubt in part due to James Newman’s hand in recording the album and thus allowing the band’s idiosyncratic use of instruments such as the Guzheng and accordion not to be wavered for a more mainstream sound. Right from the offset with ‘Home Again’, Plumerai’s force as an alt-rock/ art-rock (hell call it what you will!) act is almost palpable, mainly due the band’s ability to strike a complete equilibrium between Ezell’s to die for voice and the band’s ability to muster up a brilliant and layered tune or two.
Following is ‘Illuminata’ a track that first marks Plumerai’s desire for using off kilter instruments within their compositions, case in point; the xylophone, which brings uniqueness to the track matched only by the constant synthesizer sound warbling in the background.
But it is with ‘Blues and Greens’ that the addition of instruments like the accordion provides the most overt feeling, giving Ezell’s vocals an almost jazzy, Parisian feeling with which to sway her vocals to the listener smoothly and effectively.
‘Avernal’, while still of the laid back and chilled out pace of the other tracks, provides more of a sense of exigency, the band working in unison so that you can almost feel the oncoming chorus via the tension in the drums and guitar work which slips easily into a haze of shoegazer like sound with even the accordion giving as good its gets by the end, keeping up with the speed and rhythm of the drums.
‘Sin El Lagarta’ while still using the now well documented plethora of unlikely instruments does so in the album’s most unusual way. A speedy, care free and anarchistic instrumental piece that merges sounds that could be roughly defined as folktronica and dark wave. A strange mix indeed but one that on first listen will have you wondering if it’s the same band and then eventually enjoying the refreshing break it creates in the album’s line up.
As mentioned previously with their EP release ‘Res Cogitans’, as long as Plumerai waned away from the temptation for a more mainstream sound (and thus a bigger fan base) then they would find great things with the album later in the year. And great things they have found indeed. A blend of styles and sound that is reminiscent of other acts but totally unique to the band in question also. A signature album that should hallmark a surge in popularity for the group as well as many new releases to come.
