When I started listening to the Ramones as a kid, I never thought I’d ever listen to any song over three minutes again, but I guess even stubborn cynics can be proven wrong occasionally. The Plum Magnetic are a “world/fusion/rock quartet” from New Orleans, and will be releasing their new album, Terra Animata, this February. They are also probably amongst the first bands since The Monks to use an electric banjo, but with songs typically passing the nine minute mark, the Plum Magnetic are anything but the chaotic blasts of punk off of Black Monk Time.
The Plum Magnetic are the Talking Heads if the band didn’t constantly sound like it was going to fold in on itself and collapse. There’s less tension and more of a sense of leisure with the Plum Magnetic, and, subsequently, the songs are typically longer than any David Byrne offering. It works best here on the titular track, “Terra Animata,” a fascinating listen constantly unfolding and growing throughout its ten minutes while not once sounding like it’s going on for ages.
The band, essentially, explores almost every aspect and type of jam band, whether it be the jazz freestyle of “SheshBesh,” the gentle Appalachian-inspired psych-folk of the Grateful Dead on “Trece Leches,” the prog of Yes on “Parallax” and even a slightly reggae feel on “Sweet Confusion.” They grab and take influences from the entire map, and in fact the only “jam bands” they don’t take from are some of the 80s and 90s groups like Phish. This can actually be seen as a good thing to some, including myself, but it does limit the range of the group somewhat, as confusing as that may sound.
The range is only limited because it is all rather laid back, so if you want something a little harder or more chaotic, you may find something lacking. However, there is such skill and confidence that this is only really nitpicking. I found this a highly enjoyable album that doesn’t at all feel like the hour it comes close to surpassing, especially when most of my favorite records fall under the half hour mark. Terra Animata is set to be released February 23rd.
