The Seldon PlanREVIEWS FOR THE COLLECTIVE NOW |
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"...Collective is 11 highly melodic, totally tuneful songs buttressed by rushing, bright guitars...that also alights on late period, nicer Superchunk and Tsunami." "...if you fall in love with this band you'll do it in the first 30 seconds. The guitars are warm and richly layered, and the vocals are earnest, just high enough to keep things mellow and unpretentious. Expect this sort of quality for the rest of the album. Now, with this wonderful new album, I'd say they're among the best indie bands out there." ""The Collective Now” (their new CD) is solid piece of indie rock. Have a listen to “Colored Lenses”, lots of layered pretty guitars and as good a piece of production as you will find." “"Making Circles", the band’s debut album, was great. "The Collective Now" is better.” "Here’s something new and original: indie-pop that doesn’t drown one in self-absorbed, phony angst, cheesy clichés or parody (self-aware or not); in a word (or three)...The Seldon Plan. The cool sounds of their sophomore effort, The Collective Now, exude an infectious stroke of grooviness not heard since Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Pinback or The Swirlies. The Seldon Plan’s debut album, Making Circles, was hailed by critics and fans alike as an underground sensation; the trend continues on this brilliant follow-up. Originally devised as a danceable pop record, the group wisely expands their consciousness (and ours) on The Collective Now, leaving the saccharine in the container, throwing it away, and re-tooling with this bittersweet, soft-hearted album. It’s not a bunch of love songs, but neither is it an overly aggressive, nihilistic piece of work, draining one like a Nine Inch Nails album. While it may sound like sweetness and light, there is a depth in their lyrical stylings as well as ingenious use of crafty hooks, melodies and harmonies. Well done." Editor's Pick: "Sweet, smooth and sugary, Baltimore's The Seldon Plan knows how to pour on the whimsical treats of pop. Steep rock tunes with nary a heavy crunch to be found...[they] make emotional rock that isn't a bunch of heart string pulling and tears.” "What impresses us most about this band's music is how unpretentious it is. There are few bands around that can compete with this band when they hit their highs." "The disc may be called The Collective Now but it’s steeped in history: from the sound of R.E.M.’s college-radio heyday, through two subsequent decades of summery, nice-guy guitar pop, to the Death Cab drive of tracks like “Dance, Despite the Obvious”. A reminder of why indie pop was fun in the first place" "The disc counts on very good moments with songs like "Going Nowhere Slow", "This Bedroom Prayer", or perhaps one of the best songs on the disc, "Modern Vigil." "Seraphim", "All the Real Girls" or "Colored Lenses", and many others, demonstrate the quality of the band, that little by little and staying true to its own sound, has found its own unique space in the vast present musical scene. This is one of the best underground indie-pop bands around these days" "...this album could be the perfect soundtrack for a westside suburbanite's ride home." "The Seldon Plan is an indie pop band. A very good one, though - I really enjoyed their 2005 release Making Circles, and this one is sounding quite good, too, in a Nada Surf kind of way."
"...there is a lot of intelligent & catchy pop musicalities and it’s not stale at all. It’s refreshingly potent and catchy. The guitar leads are terrific. And not Eddie Van Halen licks. But Kevin Shields lines and stripes on a different level." "Ultimately, band members decided to release a second, quieter version of the album in addition to the louder one
for fans looking for a more dynamic sound. “We’re so awash in a sea of loudness, we forget what records that "...they've managed to put together an album that is both memorable and easy
to digest. Their album is indie rock for the unpretentious, and they've covered all the bases very well. As I'm
scrolling through this album right now, I'm trying to pick out my favorite songs to highlight, but it's rather difficult
because there are so many quality tracks of equal caliber. I don't know whether to choose the waltz‐like "Poem For
The Middle Class," the hypnotic "Brandywine Situation," the nostalgia‐inducing "Saint Barnabas," or the American
Analog Set‐inspired "Oella." These guys are doing something right for the indie rock scene, and I hope they gain some exposure outside
of Baltimore soon." "Here's a great song with incredibly bright guitars which make for some great laid‐back indie rock. They are The
Seldon Plan and the song is Dance, Despite The Obvious." "All I can say is this band knows how to make great records and every time I think I am
impressed, they come out with an new one that is even better. They belone squarely on Art & Crafts or Barsuk
and have what it takes musically to really bring underground inidie pop into the mainstream in ways that Death
Cab and The Decemberists can't. Why? Because they lack the pretension of those bands and that is enough to
break through to the mainstream Fuse‐watching crowd who might be amendgable to some great and listenable
indie pop."
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ALBUM INFO
The Collective NowBRL 4525 // CD // 2007 SOLD OUT / OUT OF PRINT WEBSITEFor more info: |