Review Summary: Crack open a beer, put on your best winter coat, and grow out your beard, it's time to jam some Banner Pilot
There's just something so grand about punk and emo bands from the Midwest. Maybe it's the dreary, snowy atmosphere, or maybe it's the close proximity to countless breweries and alcohol distilleries that give these bands the inhuman power to create some of the catchiest and most poignant music around. Whatever the case may be, Banner Pilot certainly have this power, and they're easily one of the catchiest and most poignant in the Midwest.
Banner Pilot make pop-punk. No not THAT pop-punk; the kind that's made for young girls ages 14-25, but rather the sweaty, drunken kind made for slightly overweight men with beards and flannel shirts ages 17-35. Banner Pilot's biggest strength is their ability to weave together personal lyrics of alcohol influenced tales of love and life in the Midwest with blaring power chords, the occasional simple guitar riff, and wow actual audible bass! Banner Pilot have always had very catchy songs, but they really went above and beyond on their third full length album
Heart Beats Pacific, where the songwriting is tighter than ever, and their inclination for powerful melodies has been perfected. Coupled with these strong melodies are much slower and mellower songs than the band usually makes, and the singer Nick has adopted a lower register vocal style that elegantly melds with this newfound approach. Banner Pilot don't do anything new when it comes to gritty, yet poppy Midwestern punk, but their immense passion and penchant for crafting gritty, yet beautiful melodies certainly makes them one of the best bands playing pop-punk right now.
