I've always been suspicious of Elephant 6 musicians. First of all, they call themselves part of a "collective." When I think of a "collective," my geeky mind immediately turns to the Borg. And while, as far as I know, the Elephant 6'ers aren't planning any kind of sinister interplanetary takeover, the comparison is quite appropriate. Elephant 6 artists, especially the Olivia Tremor Control, have managed to assimilate the better aspects of several genres-- from '60s pop and rock to electronica and R&B--; into an easy-to-stomach pop-tinted form.

Still, "collective" may not be quite the right word. It's just too technical and non- descript. I looked it up, and Merriam-Webster defines a collective as "a cooperative unit or organization." Big deal. A bunch of my friends and I could sell lemonade on the street corner and call ourselves "The Citrus 3 Collective." That's no fun. No, the Elephant 6 Collective should be called "The Cult of the Six Elephants." That's right, cult.

So what makes the Elephant 6 collective a cult? Mystery and intrigue. Almost every aspect of the Elephant 6 is a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a jewel case. Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Magnum has now supposedly joined the circus. A band called Frosted Ambassador, which I understand to be Olivia Tremor Control drummer Eric Harris' band, released an album which was supposedly discovered in a potter's shoebox. (Yeah, I know!) But as for the Olivia Tremor Control themselves, they've been relatively free of scandal. Frontmen Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss have never shrouded themselves in any kind of mystery. Until now.

For months now, rumors of an Olivia Tremor Control breakup have spread like wildfire. The band has stopped touring, Bill Doss is now working on his Sunshine Fix Project, and Elephant 6 message boards are buzzing with "direct from the band" breakup statements. And as if all this weren't a compelling enough argument that Olivia is about to bite the dust, the band has now presented their fans with Singles and Beyond-- a compilation of hard-to-find EPs, singles, and compilation appearances-- to remind us just how much Will and Bill will be missed.

For relatively new Olivia-obsessives, Singles and Beyond is great. Highly sought-after early EPs such as The Giant Day, and the band's first release, California Demise, which dates back to when Jeff Magnum was still a member of the OTC, are compiled onto a single $12 CD. Also included are countless singles and compilation appearances, many of which have been all but unavailable until now.

"Love Athena" and "Today I Lost a Tooth," both from the California Demise EP, kick off Singles and Beyond with some of the best pop tunes ever written by the Olivias. Fuzzy guitars play indelible hooks while Hart and Doss sing abstract lyrics in heavenly harmonies. California Demise proves to be a record in the same vein as the group's first full-length, Dusk at Cubist Castle-– excellent lo-fi pop songs with a few well-placed bits of electronics and found noise. Additional highlights come with "Beneath the Climb," from a long out-of-print Cassiel Records compilation, and "I'm Not Feeling Human," from the Giant Day EP.

Unfortunately, the odds-and-sods nature of Singles and Beyond prevents it from packing the same punch as the band's two full-length albums, Dusk at Cubist Castle and Black Foliage. Both of those records, particularly Black Foliage, were well-hinged epics, centering on indecipherable though clearly present themes. With each track, these records drew you in with a perfectly balanced blend of pop melodies and noisy arrangements. Adding to the overwhelming depth was the multi-faceted collage nature of the recordings. Bizarre sounds were referenced multiple times throughout the records, making familiar friends of these decidedly alien noises. Now, for the first time on an Olivia Tremor Control album, we're presented with a collection of songs instead of a full album, and the result is suitably less compelling.

While Singles and Beyond may just be a collection of songs, it is nonetheless a collection of Olivia Tremor Control songs, and a must-have for any fan. For the first time in ages, fans can command a relatively complete collection of the band's singles and EPs without taking out a second mortgage. As for me, I'm stashing away the $12 I was planning to spend on the Giant Day EP in the desperate hope that someday soon there will be a brand spankin' new Olivia Tremor Control record for me to purchase. Unfortunately, my psychic inclination senses that this may be the band's final release.

-Matt LeMay