Pilot Round the Sun - s/t EP
(self-released)
Rock and Roll, man. Yeah. Rock and Roll.
But let me be frank for a moment. What does fakejazz have against me? Not only did I get the abysmal EP by the moronic Starting Line, but I also got a bunch of unoriginal, bland power pop and emo albums. Why? I'm not a rockhound or anything. My karma must be bad or something... because most of this stuff sucks! Not entirely true for Pilot Round the Sun. While not really an original sounding band, they have enough redeeming qualities to make them listenable and enjoyable. Well... enjoyable in that FM radio kind of way...like a guilty pleasure.
Pilot Round the Sun have a sound that I liken to bands like The Shins, Grandaddy, The Sea and Cake, The Places, and Yo La Tengo. Except, where those bands have either produced great albums, or mastered the sound that they're working with, Pilot Round the Sun is still in their infancy. Take the third track, "Grounded Pilot." It isn't very good. Where a band like Yo La Tengo would introduce male/female vocal harmonies, more interesting instrumentation, and some variation, Pilot Round the Sun keeps it average. The song doesn't change. It's two and a half minutes, but it feels a lot longer.
On the flipside, the EP contains some really blockbuster tracks, like the melancholy, tidal "Glass Ceiling," and the gigantic closer "Aggressively Hutch." These two tracks hint at a lot of possibility for Pilot Round the Sun. Monster hooks, impassioned vocals (and these vocals are really passionate, not like the insipid faux-passion of bands like The Starting Line), and chiming guitars produce songs that are good, and that, like all good debuts, hint at a lot more.
I've got a lot of hope for Pilot Round the Sun; they're potentially a good rock band. If they added some different instrumentation to the standard guitar, drums, and voice that they employ, they could be swell. Like, boys, bring on the strings on your next release. Or maybe some found sound to create further emotional response from the listener. Or some male/female singing. Or something. You've got potential! This is a good debut from a band that could be great. Totally unlike the Startling Line
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