Pilots Wish

PERFORMER MAGAZINE: Pilots Wish REVIEW
Pilots Wish - Pilots Wish
Produced by Mark Niemiec at MuggyTone Productions in Nashville, TN and by Shaun Lopez in Los Angeles, CA

Rest assured real alternative rock hasn't totally disappeared - Pilots Wish doesn't just revive it, they keep it alive and kicking balls. There is a lot of fantastic restless energy to this album — even when the lyrics aren't necessarily easy to understand, it still rocks. The production is really well done and all eight songs are originals. It's hard to make comparisons to previous acts because, while instrumentation might sound familiar for a second, it takes new directions that aren't familiar at all. For example, "Idle Hands" might remind listeners of the harder rocking tracks of Coldplay's first album, but it takes things a step further and doesn't let up
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Moods of the album are deliciously dark. Vocals are used emphatically and are full of desperation at turns, yet they fall back to more sedate and observant. "Far From Home" has has a deconstruction sound, its lyrics seem to be pleading with God and fate. "Alight" and "Sailing" take a quieter turn, featuring a focus on the higher notes of the piano keyboard, played in repeating circles of tone. "Dying Tree" uses haunting piano and guitar. "Half a Letter" is a unique piece, focusing more on keyboard and lead vocal, which ranges from falsetto to softer lower tones. Layering of guitars and voices nearer the end of the track of what sounds like all six members singing creates an intriguing effect not often heard with such lucidity.

This album is sure to whet the appetite for a Pilots Wish live performance, which isn't a usual feat. But at the end of the album, Pilots Wish hardly seems like just your usual alternative rock band. It's worth noting this band's brilliant melding of North and South - the six-piece has members from Philadelphia and Nashville. (Self-released)
www.myspace.com/pilotswish

-Kathleen Wehle - Performer Magazine February 2008