Plan 76
2025 EP by The Orchestra (For Now)
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Plan 76 is an extended play by English progressive rock band The Orchestra (For Now). It was self-published by the band and released on 31 October 2025. Two singles were released in promotion of the EP; "Hattrick" on 5 September and "Deplore You / Farmers Market" on 9 October. The EP was received positively by critics, who described it as a solid evolution of the sound from their debut, Plan 75.
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| Plan 76 | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 31 October 2025 | |||
| Studio | Chale Abbey Studios, The Church Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 24:41 | |||
| Label | Self-published | |||
| Producer | Baláza Altsach | |||
| The Orchestra (For Now) chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Plan 76 | ||||
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Background
The Orchestra (For Now) is a seven-piece band from London consisting of vocalist and pianist Joseph Scarisbrick, cellist Erin Snape, guitarists Bill Bickerstaff and Neil Thomson, violinist Lingling Bao-Smith, bassist Millie Kirby and drummer Charlie Hancock.[1] The band released their debut EP, Plan 75 on 28 March 2025.[2] The band's sound has been described as "London prog".[2]
Musical style
Plan 76 has been described as progressive rock[3] and post-rock.[4] Critics noted the similarities between the EP's sound and the sound of other acts from the Windmill scene such as Black Country, New Road and Geordie Greep.[4][3] The band noted the EP "completes the first story we wanted to tell", and acts as a continuation of the themes and sounds on their debut.[5] Much of the music on Plan 76 frequently switches between fast-paced and more intimate sections; one critic said that the band "band thrive on extremes" in this way.[6]
The opening track "Impatient" begins with a "mystic ambience" before morphing into a "undulating landscape of boisterous guitar" and "almost uncomfortably unpredictable movement".[4] One critic compared its "aggression and bravado" to early My Chemical Romance, and "the subtlety" of Radiohead and Bark Psychosis.[7] "Hattrick" contains a mix of "fiery tunnels of rage-laced guitar", piano and string sections.[4] A review for Dork noted the song as the best example of the group's "London prog" sound.[6] Another critic noted how the song's lyrics "[lent] yet more credence to the band's more poetic side".[7] According to DIY, "Amsterdam" is particularly reminiscent of Radiohead,[4] making use of soundscapes and piano sections.[4][7] The track also makes use of the melody from "Wake Robin" from Plan 75.[7] "The Administration" is a somber track with "orchestral flourishes".[6] Influences of "Human Sadness" by The Voidz, "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead and some of the Black Midi catalogue were noted by Alex Taylor of Still Listening Magazine.[7] The closing track "Deplore You / Farmers Market" was described as "wobbly and withdrawn", made up of softer instrumentation to imply "intimacy and minimalism".[6][4] The track becomes faster-paced and intense as it progresses.[4] The band described it as a "front-facing reckoning that explores ambition and fatigue, and the strains of failure and minor success".[8]
Release
Plan 76 was released on 31 October 2025, being self-published by the band.[5] In an interview before its release, the band described both it and Plan 75 as "one body of work", noting they "[tie] up the first phase of our band".[9] Two singles for the album were released: "Hattrick", which was released on 5 September,[5] and "Deplore You / Farmers Market", which was released on 9 October.[8] The music video for "Hattrick" was directed by Joe Starrs.[5] The band toured in support of the album, starting on 13 November in Sheffield and ending on 4 December in Cambridge.[8]
Reception
Plan 76 was received positively by critics. Reviewing the EP for DIY, Kyle Roczniak called the music "playful, theatrical, gigantic post-rock".[4] Teddy Maloney of So Young Magazine noted how the EP was "testing the boundaries" of the sound of its own genre.[10] In a piece for Still Listening Magazine, Alex Taylor called the EP a "satisfying continuation from their last project", though noted the band's live performances sounded better.[7] Louder Than War writer James Kilkenny called the EP a "sonically successful evolution" of their debut, though added it was not as "odd or consistently fascinating" as the former.[3] Writing for Dork, Jordan Ellison described the EP as "messy, ambitious and never less than gripping".[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Impatient" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Hattrick" | 5:40 |
| 3. | "Amsterdam" | 4:33 |
| 4. | "The Administration" | 5:37 |
| 5. | "Deplore You / Farmers Market" | 5:42 |
| Total length: | 24:41 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Apple Music[11] and liner notes.[12]
- Joseph Scarisbrick – composition, writing
- Bill Bickerstaff – composition, cover design, art direction
- Erin Snape – composition
- Neil Thomson – composition
- Charlie Hancock – composition
- Lingling Bao-Smith – composition
- Isobel Nisbett – composition
- Baláza Altsach – production, mixing
- James Poucher – engineering
- David Granshaw – assistant engineering
- Jason Mitchell – mastering