They've
crossed the States eight times in
the past four years,
crashed on nearly every floor between
New York and California, left no less
than three vans to die in various
parts of the country, and by now have
lost nearly everything. So, for Pilot
To Gunner, "hip" is a useless
crutch, lost to a typhoon of hard
rock n' roll realities. There is no
longer any room for pretenders, no
patience for pretense, no stomach
for style. What you see is real. What
you hear is rock. And what they're
about to offer you is redemption.
On
their second full-length, the aptly
titled Get Saved, New York City's
Pilot To Gunner deliver a bolt of
D.C.-inspired apocalypse that defies
any qualifier. It is part punk, part
post, and all rock. The kind you'd
expect from a band that captures all
of New York City - from the sky-scraping
towers to the shady alleyways - like
no other primped and propped-up outfit
of Gotham poseurs can.
There's
no doubt that this outfit is a mish-mash
of various fuck-ups. After all, this
is the band that traded blows with
their newfound label president moments
after signing their contract. However,
when they lock in together on one
of their dark anthems, they are magnificent
fuck-ups.
Despite
jerking listeners to attention on
their lauded debut, Games at High
Speeds, they've topped themselves
on the J. Robbins-produced Get Saved.
With
sinuous grooves courtesy of drummer
Kurt Herrman alongside Padden's shout-along
vocals, tracks like "The Product,"
"Hey Carrier," and the title
track are custom made for fist pumping.
Martin McLoughlin's bass slinks and
dives, twisting "Downstate"
into dub-inflected thunder. The first
single, "Barrio Superstarrio,"
featuring the charged call-and-response
interplay between lead guitarist Patrick
Hegarty and Padden, blasts straight
out of a 1960's motorcycle gang pulp
flick.
And
lurking beneath the chaotic surface,
are Padden's switchblade-sharp lyrics.
Taking on scenesters, societal lepers,
heavy-handed heroes and non-believers
with the conviction of a new school
prophet, he and the band simply deliver
what most others can't or won't: Truth
with the songs to back it up.
You've
been warned:
Pilot
To Gunner are coming to save you.
So
hide your everything. |