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Record Reviews
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AllMusic.com-(album review) by Tim Sendra
"The 1900's debut album Cold & Kind lives up to the promise of the EP that preceded it and then some. 2006's Plume Delivery had many charms from the rich arrangements, hook-filled songs and the lovely voices of the group's trio of singers, Cold & Kind keeps these assets firmly in place but improves on them greatly. The record's songs are instantly memorable, emotionally wrenching and will linger long after the disc stops spinning, the arrangements are more sophisticated and inventive and the voices are stronger and more assured. Indeed if you're a fan of vocal harmonies, Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O'Toole will give you goosebumps with the otherworldly assists they give Edward Anderson's equally fine vocals. When one of the women step out front, as on When I Say Go, or when their harmonies lead the song, like on The Medium Way, it's like a 30's starlet has walked into the room, backlit and angelic, to take your breath away. Surrounding the voices are painstakingly recorded, immaculately crafted arrangements featuring strings, horns, all manner of keyboards, tambourines and just the right amount of atmosphere the song calls for whether it's rollicking and loose on the yearning Two Ways, haunting and spare on the chilling Supernatural, or quiet and thoughtful on the resigned and melancholy City Water. Cold & Kind is a wide-screen, epic kind of record that sounds huge but can shrink down on a dime and focus on tiny details, a record as warm as a bath on a cold winter night and as satisfying as that first instant your head hits the pillow after an endless day. It's not a precious, museum piece though. Unlike some bands who get their influence from the baroque sounds of bands like the Zombies, the Bee Gees and the Left Banke, the 1900's aren't afraid to pierce the gauzy chamber pop arrangements with sharp guitars, they don't shy away from upping the tempo now and then and they aren't adverse to raising their voices above a whisper. Cold & Kind is the kind of record that will capture the heart of anyone lucky enough to discover it, a glittering jewel of well-written, perfectly recorded and heart-breakingly honest and true music nestled in the trash heap of product that floods that market each week."
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Pitchforkmedia.com -"Everybody's Got A Collection (mp3 review) by Stephen M. Deusner
A collection of what? Ceramic chickens? Snowglobes of the 50 states? Souvenirs of their victims? Twee-pop on vinyl? The 1900s-- who shouldn't be confused with the 1990s or MC 900 Foot Jesus-- most likely have the latter: The Chicago septet apparently sprung fully-formed from the womb of the local psych-pop scene, releasing an EP before playing their first show and then getting signed on the basis of that show. "Everybody's Got a Collection", an outtake from their upcoming full-length, Cold & Kind, is a swirling synthesis of graceful strings, folk-pop guitars, tinkling pianos, and cooed backing harmonies. Underneath that candy shell, however, is a bittersweet chocolate center: "Let's not pretend that I'll drop everything for you," Edward Anderson sings, not as a coldhearted kiss-off but as a statement of supremely realistic expectations."
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SPIN.com -The 1900s Tread 'City Water' (mp3 review) by CHANDLER LEVACK
The 1900s are a seven-piece pop group from Chicago. A intimately connected mash of friends from high school, former co-workers and ex-lovers (and new lovers) so personal they would be Fleetwood Mac if Stevie Nicks was into deep dish pizza, their particular blend of violin-tinged folk scored them a recent slot at this summer's Lollapalooza and the full machinations of an ongoing hype machine. On "City Water," these tensions are explored in a full blown folk out that combines simple strumming, harmonic sing-alongs and too-perceptive lyrics about lost loves in windy cities. "You came right away / But you never stayed," repeats the make-you-think chorus with just enough strings to see the well-worn creases in the familiar arrangement of acoustics and light brushing of drums. It's the 1900s "Landslide" with the melodious grit of the Hidden Cameras, so you better toast a glass of merlot to sorrow and multi-member harmonies. Cold & Kind chills Oct. 2 via the Parasol imprint."
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Minneapolis Fucking Rocks (album review) by Jonathan Graef
"Love may be a many splendored thing, and expressing the complications that can arise from being in love can be even more splendored. But that doesn't mean that expressing those emotions is an easy task to accomplish. So judging by the first notes of mournful piano that announce "No Delay" and the opening line "Too afraid to be alone/too afraid to leave my home", one can assume that there's a deep well of melancholia at the source of Cold And Kind, the debut album of The 1900s. But, as with all dark moments, the moments of light eventually appear at the end of the tunnel.
Cold And Kind is filled with songs that capture that dynamic expertly. Though there is a mournful quality that permeates the album, the music is as pure and as bright as a sunrise in 1970s California. Cold and Kind bristles with the kind of pop music that should satisfy fans of Belle and Sebastian and Fleetwood Mac. So songs like “Acutiplantar Dude,” which addresses, in part, what happens when death hits close to home, features cowbell, beautifully sad multi-part harmonies and a buoyant refrain.
Other songs, like "Cold and Kind" and "The Medium Way" shimmer and shine with an carefree, yet staunchy disciplined, sense of melodiousness. The 60s garage-rock foundation laid down by the Chicago septet's first EP, Plume Delivery, has been expanded and elaborated upon. But by sharpening their melodic prowess on tracks like "Georgia" and "Two Ways", The 1900s prove that you can fulfill your melodic potential and satisfy your ambitions without getting pretentious or indulgent. Cold and Kind is exactly 40 minutes of pop perfection and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since I bought it at Lollapolooza. This is one of the best albums of the year"
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Chicago Tribune - Top 10 local albums of 2006 (Greg Kot)
#3. The 1900s, "Plume Delivery" (Parasol, parasol.com): Orchestral pop done the way a lover of the Zombies' "Odessey and Oracle" would appreciate: multipart harmonies, tactile strings, layered arrangements and menthol-cool melodies. It sounds like the start of something special."
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New City - Top 10 local albums of 2006 (Tom Lynch)
#2 The 1900s - Plume Delivery EP
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Venus Magazine - Plume Delivery review by Anna Breshears June 2006
" Chicago seven-piece the 1900s won a record deal after their first show; since then, theyve quickly catapulted into the hearts of pop critics nationwide. Their six-song EP Plume Delivery reveals a psych-pop vision marked by baroque orchestration and charming vocal harmonies.
Opener Bring The Good Boys Homeprovides single-worthy irresistibility via ? & The Mysterians-inspired Vox organ thump, supple vocals, and a crisp garage-rock rhythm, while A Coming Ageemploys dual male/female harmonies with indie folk touches and rich, gorgeous violin for a gentler, though no less catchy, outcome. Instrumental Flight of the Monowingsteeters under the weight of a jam-rock axe and a Doors-y organ, but the organic, summery goodness of Whole of the Lawcancels out the misstep. Patron Saint of the Mediocreis marred by its lengthiness and off-key, rambling vocals, but once again, the 1900s bounce back with the short but sweet closer Heart Props.
Plume Delivery, while uneven, is an impressive first EP. When they remain focused on creating breezy, listenable pop compositions, the 1900s are delightful. However, when their 60s psych tendencies intercede, the songs suffer. Lets hope they stick with the fresh, lighter approach of Plume's best offerings when recording their full-length follow-up this summer. "
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The Onion AV Club - Noel Murray - 6/7/06
"The 1900s' debut EP Plume Delivery (Parasol) is an impressive sample of what the band can do, full of evocative song-snippets like "Heart Props" and "Flight Of The Monowings," plus multi-part psychedelic folk-pop songs like "Bring The Good Boys Home" and "Whole Of The Law." The Chicago collective finds the connecting point between Stereolab, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and high-lonesome bluegrass… A-"
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Chicago Sun Times - Jim DeRogatis 6/02/06
Reasons For Living
"Following in the footsteps of local ork-popsters/ornate folk-rockers the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Head of Femur, the 1900s are a big band (featuring guitarist-vocalist Edward Anderson, keyboardist Mike Jasinski, drummer Tim Minnick, bassist Charlie Ransford and female vocalists Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O'Toole) that has crafted a surprisingly fragile and breathtakingly beautiful sound on its six-song debut "Plume Delivery." It was released last week on Champaign-Urbana's pop-worshipping Parasol Records.
Though "Whole the Law" veers a bit too close to the ultra-twee sounds of early Belle & Sebastian, other songs such as "Bring the Good Boys Home" and "Flight of the Monowings" present a fresh, hook- and harmony-laden take on '60s influences, such as the Zombies, the Incredible String Band, Donovan and the Velvet Underground circa its quiet third album. The sultry vocals that power the epic "Patron Saint of the Mediocre" are to die for. Thanks to its tireless gigging around town in recent months, the band has also earned a growing reputation for the strength of its live shows, which find the musicians jumping from instrument to instrument between every tune. "
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Tripwire.com
Plume Delivery Review by Matt DuFour 5/24/06
"Chicago is a veritable hotbed of great new music and The 1900s are just one more example of that fact. Their retro pop psychedelia sound has this band literally on the tips of every indie-centric Chicagoan's tongue at the moment, and with good reason. Their debut "mini-album" features six tracks of glistening, sun shiny pop music filled with boy/girl harmonies and a whole slew of non-traditional rock & roll instruments. It's bombastic and fun, with a "hooray for summertime" vibe that will have the kids shakin' it till the wee hours of the AM. Though the mini-album comes in at just under 24 minutes, songs like "Bring The Good Boys Home," "A Coming Age" and "Whole Of The Law" are enough to get anyone legitimately excited about this band. A few people outside of Chicago have been talking about these guys (Gorilla Vs Bear, for one), but if word hasn't reached you yet, consider this your warning. The 1900s are coming. Get ready. "
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Fufkin.com - Mike Bennett - May 2006 read online
"The 1900's -- Plume Delivery (Parasol): A promising Chicago quintet whose primary distinguishing factors are the unmannered vocals of Jeanine O'Toole and the frequently predominant keyboards of Michael Jasinski. The band draws from a wide array of influences, which they ably filter through their specific sound. There are a few directions mapped out on the six songs on this EP. Things get off to a good start with "Bring the Good Boys Home", which has a glammy Roxy Music (or The Features) vibe in the verses, with an urgent folk-pop (like The Roches or Judee Sill, perhaps) chorus. You have to hear it to dig how well it works. Donovan's vocals on this song are a bit reminiscent of Rebecca Gates of Spinanes fame -- unaffected and affecting. While nothing else hits that high, there are a few other top tracks. "Patron Saint of the Mediocre" reeks of Velvet Underground, with a little garage rock keyboard line, and O'Toole's vocal somewhere between Nico and the women of Stereolab. It's like a decadent Shout It Out Louds, until the song moves on, building a haunting intensity. This is a very accomplished performance that shows how far along this relatively new band is. This followed by the swooning "Heart Props", which sounds like a classic piece of California pop, circa 1972 in the verses, though the chorus is very 21st Century indie pop -- too bad it is so short. The band also has a bit of a pastoral vibe, aided greatly by Kristina Dutton's violin. This EP is a sterling debut that promises many great things in the near future."
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Aquarius Records - SanFran's oldest independent record store
Highlights of the Week 5/12/06
"Wonderful breezy pop very much in the vein of Belle And Sebastian that also reveals a moodier side. Dare we say that this 6-song ep by Chicago sextet The 1900s almost makes for a better B&S follow-up to Dear Catastrophe Waitress than The Life Pursuit! Yes, we do. Much like those Scots' last few lush albums, The 1900s' Plume Delivery comes fully decked out with organs, harpsichord, violin, keyboards, horns. Of course, that alone wouldn't mean much if the bountiful instrumental palette wasn't put to good use, but it certainly is. The 1900s incorporate it all seamlessly into such lovely melodies and glorious arrangements. But the super dreaminess comes from the vocal department, Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O'Toole's voices alternately remind us of Isobel Campbell and Laetitia Sadier, while mainman Edward Anderson's voice can easily be compared to Belle And Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. If you dig the sounds of the abovementioned bands as well as The Delgados, Call And Response, Young & Sexy and Mates Of State, you might also take a shine to The 1900s. A super delight from start to finish!"
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All Music Guide - April 2006 (http://www.allmusic.com) (Tim Sendra)
" Plume Delivery, The 1900s' debut EP, is an intricately arranged, sweetly sung and tenderly played gem of a record. The Chicago sextet lovingly coat their songs with the finest chamber pop accoutrements (harpsichord, Rhodes, violin, organ and most importantly, lush vocal harmonies.) and come up with a rich and organic sound reminiscent of arrangement pop heroes like the Heavy Blinkers, Ladybug Transistor and the New Pornographers. As those bands do the 1900s have many voices taking the lead, seemingly a different one on every song, each equally gentle and sweet. The songs here stack up well next to the competition; "Bring the Good Boys Home" is a bouncy rocker done in a fine approximation of the Vancouver pop sound, Whole of the Law" is a lilting ballad with truly transcendent vocal harmonies and the kind of soaring chorus that might lift the spirits of even the most curmudgeonly of listeners, "Coming Age" is a fine pastoral ballad with a fine mid-60s Kinks feel. The only track that fails to impress is the overly long and proggy "Patron Saint of the Mediocre" which doesn't fit in with the other tracks at all and suffers from too many keyboard solos and unusually forceful vocals. It breaks the spell the rest of the record casts and while it doesn't exactly spoil the proceedings, it does cast a long shadow. Still if you are a fan of the bands mentioned above or of well played and sung, insistently melodic indie pop, the arrival of the 1900s and this disc is cause for quiet satisfaction. "
