Ladies and gentlemen: buckle up your seatbelts. Please keep all preconceived notions about all music you have ever heard and ever think you will hear inside the vehicle at all times. Common-held music genre guidelines will not be allowed on this ride, and, please, enter the world of Pilotdrift at your own risk.

First, though, a little background. Pilotdrift are the first band signed to Good Records Recordings (other than projects of the label’s creators, The Polyphonic Spree leads Tim DeLaughter and Julie Doyle). Hailing from the country’s nerdiest-named town, Texarkana, the band self-produced their debut album, Water Sphere. Now, I must admit, my first impression of this East Texas quintet, led by a man named Kelly who wears the same railroad conductor hat in ever printed picture of him, was a little weak. Lesson: it is important in life to accept defeat.

The opening track, “Caught in My Trap,” introduces Kelly Carr as a powerful conveyor of emotion through his voice. The song is filled with violins, choir-like harmonies, and unidentifiable electronic goodness. With one minute left, the song abruptly changes direction, driven by heavy guitar chords and an all-over “do-what-you-feel” musical party of sorts.

“Passenger Seat” is more reminiscent of your modern indie-electronic groups. Light and fluffy with syncopated beats, mysterious science fiction sound effects, and your ubiquitous depressing lyrics. “I sing your song, even though you’re gone, tonight / and though things have changed you, I we say we’re still the same.” Listening to some of Pilotdrift’s tracks, namely “Passenger Seat” on headphones, creates an unreal sensory experience (aurally speaking, folks).

The most alluring and stunning track on the album, though, is by far “Jekyll and Hyde Suite.” Nothing short of an orchestral masterpiece at 9:46, this piece channels some serious Freddy Mercury along with great composers of the past. It is dramatic and exciting with its huge organ sound, narrative lyrics, and monstrous dynamic changes, clearly suggesting both the Jekyll and Hyde characters. This track will move you and allow you a glimpse into music of the future.

Along the same lines of the band’s affinity for and expertise in storytelling is the song about Captain Shakleton’s exploration of Antactica in the early 1900s. “Elephant Island” tells the gripping tale of the crew’s hardships and near death through vivid lyrics. The listener is relieved at the end of the song to hear a chorus of “all safe Boss, all well!” While a popular topic for history buffs, the band’s inclusion of Shackleton’s story in a rock song is unique in its own right. This song exemplifies what Pilotdrift are capable of on a large scale, musically and lyrically, with no boundaries in sight.

The last track, aptly named “So Long,” starts out with tribal-like heavy drum beats and an actual children’s choir “ooohing” and “ahhhing” in the background. Suddenly, just as in the opener, the ethereal intro changes direction and becomes an emotive rocker, with hard guitar riffs and solos coming in and out of range. The chorus returns at the very end, descending back into the tribal percussion and ending the entire ride of an album with one loud, solid drumbeat.

This album is an epic and must be taken seriously. It is big and orchestral, small and intimate, strange and modern, and everything in-between. It is Queen, The Mars Volta, Radiohead, and Beethoven. It is layered, deep, sensational, and must be heard.
www.pilotdrift.com
www.goodrecordsrecordings.com

Click here to buy this album on iTunes!

Click here to download the iTunes jukebox application for Macintosh or Windows!

Kimberly Rosenbauer

Your name:

Your email address (required):

Your URL (optional):

Your constructive criticism:


Type this code into the box below:

 Past Constructive Criticism

Tim posted the following Constructive Criticism: Mike, since even the band (see comment from Jay) seem to have liked the review, I suggest you think twice before telling Kim how to write.

mike posted the following Constructive Criticism: First of all, Pilotdrift's first album was Iter Facere, which was self written, recorded, produced, and released and is out of print. Second, Kelly Carr is an amazing vocalist and should be critisized in no form, plus he sounds a bit like Tom Petersson from Cheap Trick. So could you do us all a favor and get your head out of your butt and type a decent review?

Lynn posted the following Constructive Criticism: nice review! I agree about the Jekyll and Hyde suite, particularly. An expansive experience. I'm anxious to hear how the band pulls that off live. BTW, the sea-captain's style caps are Kelly Carr's wardrobe signature. He wears different ones in concert.

Jay posted the following Constructive Criticism: You Rock, thanks a million!