Plumerai, the new 8-song self-titled release from the Boston-based alt rock/shoegazer trio, blends bass grooves, melodic synth organ/strings/piano, processed ethereal lead guitar, real and programmed percussion, and female vocals into a bass-driven, moody rock package. Complete with noteworthy and appropriate semi-Cure-esque artwork, the band's proper debut is, while a bit on the short side, a fairly well written, performed, and produced effort that combines trip-hop, post-punk, shoegazer, and ethereal influences. 

The disc's top tracks include the killer trip-hop bass groove, organ, and tremolo guitar of the memorable "Modern Desire" and the wobbly organ and ethereal cascading guitar arpeggios of the airier "My Demise". The opening "Broken" blends a moody organ-accented verse carried by ethereal guitars with a more upbeat chorus highlighted by a killer reverb-drenched sliding guitar backdrop. While the chorus of "Inside Outside" perhaps hits a bit too close to Garbage's "Milk" for comfort, it's a solid track overall. "Intangible" settles into a comfortable bass pattern carried by processed, almost synth-esque guitar. "Inkracer" and "Ether" are somewhat darker piano-accented offerings, the latter being more rock-oriented, while the closing "Plastic Heart" is the disc's most upbeat as well as its shortest. 

While, perhaps, slightly lacking in memorable melodic passages when broken into individual tracks, as a whole, Plumerai is a lovely album rife with personality. Shoegazer, moody rock, and trip-hop fans will likely find the band's debut to be a fairly impressive and worthwhile 34-minute foray into bass-driven ethereal rock.
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Die Band PLUMERAI werden hierzulande wohl bisher nur wenige Leute kennen. Obwohl es sich bei der selbst betitelten CD der Amerikaner um ein Debut-Album handelt, sind die Musiker alles andere als unerfahren, immerhin sind einige von ihnen bereits in den 90er Jahren mit ihrer damaligen Band BurMonter unter anderem in Deutschland getourt und haben eine Single und eine CD, sowie einige Samplerbeiträge veröffentlicht. Der damalige Sound, der stark an die guten alten Cranes erinnerte gefällt mir noch heute und mit neuer Sängerin und unter dem neuen Namen PLUMERAI wurde weiter musiziert. Der damalige Sound wurde weiter entwickelt, hier und da mit einigen moderneren Rhythmen versehen, blieb aber im Wesentlichen ähnlich. Gitarren, die immer wieder an The Cure gemahnen, eine natürlich klingende Sängerin mit angenehmer Stimme und hier und da ein paar elektronische Effekte machen die Musik auf dieser CD gut hörbar, eingängig und einfach schön. Wave-Pop würde ich das mal nennen, wobei es aber auch einige dunklere Momente gibt. Wer mal einfach schönen Shoegaze-Sound, beziehungsweise eingängigen Dream-Pop hören möchte, der einem nicht nach zwei Songs langweilt, muss PLUMERAI unbedingt mal antesten. (A.P.)
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Review of our debut CD in Weekly Dig (boston) 08.04.05

At first glimpse, you’re immediately drawn into a washed-out, navy-blue trance. And that’s just the cover art of Plumerai’s debut. It’s a fitting combination of color and imagery for their ethereal, goth–tinged music: it’s peaceful, dark, melancholy, a tad down, but with no undertow. Things continue on this theme with the slow, plodding pace of the songs. With lyrics touching on matters of broken homes and mistrust, it isn’t exactly the most blissful of bliss-pop, but not entirely mopey either. On the first track, “Broken”, the smooth-creep of the keyboards echo the Cure’s “Lullaby,” without edging too close for comfort. Kathryn Zmrzlik’s vocals have that soft, down-a-dark hallway paranoia to them, but she maintains a Madonna-like timbre. In songs such as “Inside Outside,” when she hits the low notes, I can’t help but hear traces of “Papa Don’t Preach.” Things continue to ride the slightly-haunting wave throughout—there’s not much variety of emotion here. On songs such as “Inkracer” and “Plastic Heart,” things are lifted up a bit with wobbly, underwater atmospherics—songs for a sea turtle’s daydream.

Review: Weekly Dig 08.04.05 by: SUE BELL
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Review of Plumerai CD in Northeast In Tune 07.12.05 

The sweet and almost celestial voice of Plumerai’s (ed. Kathryn Zmrlik) is what stands out the most of the group’s self-titled debut off of Get Nice Records. From the moment “Broken” flows effortlessly from the speakers it is difficult to not get caught up in the smooth and laid back feel of this beautiful record. It seems that many in Boston and abroad agree because since the release Plumerai has found itself gaining radio circulation from like the WBCN which is quite possibly one of Boston’s most well known radio stations. Abroad the group is heard on radio stations in Brazil, Germany, and Italy to name a few.


Self-described as a “bliss pop,” “shoegazer,” “post punk,” and “trip hop,” influenced band from Boston it may seem inappropriate to include Plumerai in the Gothic section of Northeast In-Tune but depending on the flavor of music you prefer Plumerai is ethereal enough to give any diehard Gothic fan a moment of pause. Songs like “Ether” border upon an almost Cure influenced sound musically. However, even without being a true Gothic band Plumerai pulls beyond labels and shines through with true and humbling talent. Like many of the bands I review I feel that this record is a must for any collection if you are a true appreciator of music that carries musical merits beyond that which are dominating pop culture today. .

Review by:Daevina
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