| Summary: A Bloc Party-esque band that still manages to sound fresh, even if Shiny Toy Guns' first major label debut is, surprisingly, the third attempt. |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
For those of you keeping track at home, the LA based Shiny Toy Guns are on their third album. For those of you actually paying attention, you would notice that this is the third album of the same album. We Are Pilots (unofficially named We Are Pilots v3) is the band’s first release from Universal, and apart from a few line-up changes and songs dropped out, is virtually the same as their past records, if only tweaked to their level of perfection. What comes of it is a tour de force of electronic beaks and alternative rock. Why it took the band so many tries to finally get signed and to release this gem is beyond me, seeing how well they can blend synthesizers with alternative rock. This is an album to remember.
Starting off the album with a flourish is You Are The One, a strong contender for one of the best off the album and one of the strongest starts to an album. The two main vocals, while usually switching off for songs, work seamlessly together here. While the male (Gregori Chad Petree) dominates most of the song, the female aspect (Carah Faye Charnow, sounding like she could front The Sounds) comes in to back up the chorus in surprising effect. She’s almost barely audible but it strengthens an already strong song. But she’s very good at keeping her own, as well, even with the heavy synthesizers becoming a threat at overcoming the vocals. Bravado last half paves the way for how the rest of the album should come off.
It’s a shame then that the one of the strongest songs off the album is followed quickly be the weakest. I’m sure I’m alone when I say this, but Le Disko is a poor choice for a first single, while not a complete mess, is still a sad mesh of vocals and music that should be poppy and fluent comes off as like a slow metronome that you wish would speed up, if only so Charnow would stop singing like she does. Although, there is a section of the song where they lose the beats and Charnow sings in a falsetto that’s quite beautiful and easy to listen to, but she loses after about a minute.
A sad fact, too, that the song itself is poorly written ( We're gonna ride the race cars/We’re gonna dance on fire/We’re the girls Le Disko/Supersonic overdrive) considering that the rest of the album shows how well the songwriters are. Most notably in the slow and melodic When They Came For Us, when a death is illustrated in a careful and poignant way (I remember mother that day/When her tears woke us so quietly from our dreams/She told us that fathers sleeping/And he is watching from far away). The song itself is wonderfully orchestrated, its slow pace never taking away its power. Almost every song following this one, actually, is great in their own right, a redemption for the disappointing single and showing off the band as songwriters and musicians. From the haunting Chemistry of a Car Crash to the acoustic-cum-electronic Rainy Monday. There’s a foray of music on display here, balanced quite well by the two vocals.
One must note though that Charnow fronts the tracks that work the least off the album. While Jackie Will Save Me is a step up from Le Disko, it’s still too jagged and rough to be considered great like the rest of the album. Petree is obviously the real talent here, no offense to Charnow, and it’s when he’s taking center stage that the album soars. By the time the album finale, We Are Pilots, its his songs that you remember most. That being said, We Are Pilots is an elegant and eloquent piece of music, the song given to Charnow. She loses the rough edge to her voice and the music, and instead she sings in the beautiful falsetto she had shown in Le Disko. It’s one of the best off an album sprinkled with moments of brilliance.
Complaints aside, We Are Pilots is still a fantastic album, the synthesizers and beats coming together to create a fresh and new work of art (looking past the fact that this is the third attempt). More akin to Bloc Party then anything else, Shiny Toy Guns has enough going for them that another album (one that isn’t v4) sounds like a good idea. Until then, We Are Pilots has enough shining moments to warrant another listen through.
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I sent this in before I revised it, so I'll spend the next half hour or so revising. I thought it might be a little too short, so any comments would be nice.
Digging: Eluvium - Copia
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p.s. I added the track list! Where is it?!
edit: There we go. Along with the album art.
This Message Edited On 01.04.07
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Shiny Toy Guns are pretty annoying from what I've heard. One song I've heard wasn't too bad, but Le Disko is terrible (in a catchy sort of way.)
Good job on the review. Keep it up.
Digging: You and I - The Curtain Falls
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i enjoyed the review. good job.
and though Petree is a great singer, Shiny Toy Guns would be nothing without Charnow. she's what sets them apart. her voice can be such a fresh breath from the often times monotonous Petree. kinda reminds me of Mark Hoppis's (sp?) voice; dull.
great album though. i've been a fan long before their recent surge into mtv.
Digging: Dark Tranquillity
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Don't judge this band solely on the single Le Disko. Although I enjoy that song, it's one of their weakest tracks. Once you hear the male vocalist, the band has a whole new identity.
Props on the good review.
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The only song I've heard is Le Disko, and I actually kinda liked it, so I guess I definitely need to check the rest of this out
Digging: Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
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Saw them live yesterday as a opening act, they were awesome. Need to get this ASAP.
Digging: Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible | | |
I am not impressed with these guys...
Digging: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
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Rainy Monday pwns.
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nice review, made me check this out, and i am glad that i did,
a friend gave me some older version of the album (probably v1) which contains more songs, some can get annoying some but some are just simply great.
the band reminds me of The Sounds and Broken Social Society
This Message Edited On 06.13.07
Digging: X Godlike Japan - Blue Blood | | |
These guys played a show at the club I work at Sunday night. I was not impressed at all.
Digging: Sed Non Satiata - Le Ciel De Notre Enfance
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i am wondering why they kept the song le disco? it is by far one of their weakest, and if they tweaked their album to the best version (as stated in the review) why didn't they just drop it...at don't make it the 2nd track....
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I dont get all the critisicm of Le Disko, i think its a great track! That song and Dont Cry Out were the only two songs id heard when i bought the album, i think they're great and i love her voice, i wish she did vocals on more of the songs
Digging: Modern Life Is War - Witness
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le disko is great after the first half, but before its kinda annoying
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Im sorry, but this is great stuff. I shouldn't be saying this but it's so catchy.
Digging: Danko Jones - Never Too Loud | | |
You Are the One is a great single.
Digging: Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Indeed. Cool video, hot chick, great song.
| | | Album Rating: 4
Rainy Monday and You Are The One are incredible.
Digging: Bjork - Vespertine | | | Album Rating: 5
I hear these guys are great live, no one even mentions "starts with one" here. I think it is one of the best songs on the album!! Its simple yet profound!!
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I think the album opens really well but lags in the second half.
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