Olivia Tremor Control
Singles and Beyond
[Kindercore/Emperor Norton]
Rating: 7.8
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