Robotanists Have Plans In Progress

Robotanists are not a team of mad scientists striving to take over the world, but rather a four piece band from Los Angeles that sound at times they’re lost amongst the angels. Not at all what you would expect, this soaring and dramatic group writes pop songs that have huge choruses, gigantic riffs, and songs that are so un-mechanical you'll wonder about their name.

Despite what the title of Robotanists' album implies, Plans In Progress, doesn't sound like it was made on the fly. This expertly produced record by Danny Kalb (Beck, Feist, etc), sounds crisp, ethereal, and so emotional it should come with a box of tissues. Vocalist Sarah Ellquist is the engine that drives it all. Her voice is truly of the heavens and when her voice reaches skyward she takes the band's songs with her into pop bliss.

Plans In Progress is wispy stuff that has a flair for the dramatic and it's that combination; the lightness and the dark, that really keeps Plans In Progress from degenerating into something overwrought with bad vibes. I enjoyed Plans In Progress for its atmospheric and melodic heights and if you like bands with a sense of drama and the ability to reach Cloud 9 you'll enjoy it too.