The Seldon Plan:
Sophisticated rock with emo undercurrents.
Michael Nestor (guitars, vocals, keys)
Dave Hirner (bass)
Frank Corl (percussion)
Chris Ehrich (guitars, vocals)
The Baltimore-based indie pop rockers are known for their
"tuneful-wistful rock" (The Washington Post) and "literate, yet still
youthful sound" (Allmusic).
The Seldon Plan spent the last few years
taking on a busy tour schedule including shows with Explosions in the
Sky, The Stills, Now It's Overhead, The Octopus Project, Matt Pond PA
and Hammer No More The Fingers. The band has also made numerous
appearances on radio, television, and film over the past few years
while keeping a strong DIY ethic.
After the acclaimed release of 2009's Lost and
Found and Lost, praised
for its "catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full
guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips" by artist/composer Mark Degli
Antoni (David Byrne/Soul Coughing) and dubbed "smart pop with no wasted
space" by record producer Brian McTernan (Senses Fail/Piebald/Thrice),
the band took a break from touring and recording.
In early 2010, Dave and Michael recruited Frank Corl
and Chris Ehrich to play a live performance
and interview with Jack Rabid (editor, The Big Takeover) at The Kennel
Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Energized by the performance, characterized by
Jack Rabid as more insistent hard indie rock greatness from The Seldon
Plan, Nestor, Hirner, Corl, and Ehrich decided to record two video
singles, "Millennials" and "China Blue" for release during Summer 2010
as a way to explore the medium of video.
Coalizione del Volere, the new album from The Seldon Plan, is a direct
descendant of these video sessions, reflective of a desire of the band
to step back to a more Dischord-era-like guitar-driven rock sound, akin
to 2005's Making Circles but with the softer, more mature edge of
2007's The Collective Now. On Coalizione del Volere, the band seems
intent on exploring a more angular guitar rock sound within the context
of focused melodies and textured intricate harmonies. Listeners who
have enjoyed The Seldon Plan through their first four records will
delight as The Big Takeover has at the Baltimore foursome's continued
maturation.
To this end, the band presents a mature Seldon Plan sound, an amalgam
of influences that can be heard but do not define Coalizione del
Volere. The use of strong and repeatable melodies is reminiscent of the
American Analog Set, yet the technicolor layers of Coalizione del
Volere bring to mind Let Go-era Nada Surf and The Californian by
Sunday's Best. To drive home this past/present dichotomy The Seldon
Plan has teamed up again with engineer Frank Marchand (The Thermals,
Bob Mould), who worked with the band on 2005's Making Circles, and
2007's The Collective Now.