Credit James Newman and his antsy bass for grafting a cab-forward groove to his usual new-shoegaze synths, and for making Boston-based Plumerai sound like Stereolab giving free reign to their darkest urges. Don't credit the vibraphone though, which gives the song a disagreeably jazzy feel even though it doesn't disrupt the flow. Do credit Elizabeth Ezell for killing herself softly with this song. Her voice breaks gently on each syllable, creating a strange and soulful vibrato that communicates her anguish easily and gracefully, not unlike Karen O ripping her heart out, ballad-style. Most of all, credit Plumerai for crafting a song that draws from popular influences, without coasting on them.
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Combining the sounds of many popular groups like Evanescence and The Cure, yet adding a harder tone with vibrating female vocals, Plumerai emerges with driven and appealing music that gets better with every listen. 

Plumerai's four-track EP shows incredible force and diversity. Interchanging between the influences of trip hop, rock, and some post punk, the quartet's music is difficult to categorize. They've been characterized as a pop band, but such a match is difficult to make because Plumerai deserves credit for their unmistakable sophistication and substance. 

"Avernal," the EP's first track, kicks off with the concentrated guitar and drum contributions of Martin Newman, Todd Richards, and James Newman. Effectively portraying their ability to play within the conventional music styles, Plumerai inserts a subtle and driven back-melody behind the main melody. The enrapturing vocals of lead singer Elizabeth Ezell are unmistakable. Pinning listeners to her ethereal vocal styles in the track, Ezell conveys both warmth and a haunting sentiment, two beautiful emotions that reside with listeners throughout the Res Cognitans EP. 

Starting with quick reverberations of notes on the guitar, "Linear" grabs listeners from the first measure. As soon as the echoing guitar effect settles in, an uptempo snare enters the track during the guitar's offbeat. The EP's most cheerful track, "Linear" absorbs the listener as Ezell's slower paced lyrics match up against the quick background music of the composition. The lyrical pace in the song's chorus quickens to match the swinging pace of the musical background, and Plumerai reveal their catchy pop tendencies with the infectious "Linear." 

Plumerai covers a vast expanse of the music world in Res Cognitans. This stirring 21-minute EP has proven that the Boston-based quartet is more than ready to proceed to the next step in the music business. January of 2007 marks the release of Plumerai's forthcoming debut full-length album, and with it are great expectations from the band and listeners alike. (Silber Records)
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Plumerai is a bit of a different kind of band for Silber, in that it's a pop band. Okay, it's a pop band that's more influenced by Portishead, The Sundays, Lush, and other bands from that early-90s Britpop era. Not that they're Britpop, but they've definitely got that sexy, moody sound thing down. Res Cogitans is a four-song EP, but those four songs are so substantial and meaty, you're left both wanting more and feeling quite satisfied. I really, really dig the sexy singing style of Elizabeth Ezell. All four songs are interesting, and all of them are new favorites, but I really dig the seven-minute "Avernal" and the shimmery, should-be-a-hit "Illuminata." Great music, and hopefully the promises delivered here will be followed through next year with their forthcoming LP.
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“Taken from the theories of 17th century Swiss philosopher Rene Descartes, Res Cogitans translates roughly as "occurrence thorough consideration," an offshoot of the much more famous Descartes deduction: "I think, therefore I am." Zap forward four centuries to Boston, and occurrence finds its direction from Plumerai’s consideration. The four-piece’s latest EP is almost as thought-provoking as Swiss philosophy (but rest assured, much more thrilling) and defies labeling. That said, let’s give it shot: Res Cogitans is complicatedly ethereal, moving forward with a delicate grace that could only be supplied by Elizabeth Ezell’s equally flowing voice. While Plumerai only gives us a 4-song taste of what is to come, each song flows forward for about 5 minutes, moving from small beats to explosive climaxes, patiently transitioning the listener from emotion to emotion. "En Vole" ("Be Willing to Behold") drips with maturity and elegance, and with added spices of foreign influences, it’s hard to believe that such a sound came out of Boston. Anything but, "Linear" combines a bouncy beat with almost shoegaze touches, moving into "Illuminate," a mysterious orchestral ride that just goes to show anything can be expected from Plumerai. If they continue to put this much consideration and thought into their music, their new album should make quite a splash indeed.."
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