Better Air, Pilot For A Day

Album:  Better Air
Artist:  Pilot For A Day
Contributing Artists:  Andrew Volpe
Release Date:  January 26, 2013



Every year, I go to an awesome day long event entitled Warped Tour. Now, I'm sure that everyone that looks at this piece will know what Warped Tour is. If you happen not to, dear god, get out from under your rock and watch any videos from any year you can find.

So, I'm sitting in the grass, waiting for a friend who'd been running late. The other two guys in my group of friends were just sitting with me when suddenly I'd been approached by a guy who reminded me of Marshall from How I Met Your Mother.

He asks me to just put the headphones on my head and take a listen. Being such an avid fan of HIMYM, I refrain from saying 'I trust you Marshall,' and put them on my head. SUDDENLY, my mind is blown. Here I am listening to this totally legit song. Immediately I hand the headphones to my friend Josh, and tell this guy, 'I must review you.'

Now, getting past the initial awkward statement, I tell him I write for Big Smile, and I'd love to review this album. His face lights up. His name is Brandon and he's the guitarist of a band called Pilot For A Day. Him and the bassist, Kyle are going around Warped Tour, after playing a set, promoting their music.

I wanted to support them and buy a hard copy, but they'd just run out. Which was severely disappointing to me, because when a band is this good, you want to buy a hard copy. On a side note of how serious I'm being, let me make this clear. Unless the music is original, they care about the music they created, and it's absolutely fantastic, I don't normally feel the urge to ever purchase a hard copy.



That's me with Brandon and my friends Josh and Scott.  Unfortunately, Kyle was the one taking the picture.  But they both were extraordinary guys. 




So a few weeks later, I'd gotten my hands on a copy of the album.  I couldn't stop listening to it, but at the same time, I was stumped on what to say.  This album is so well-put together, and the two men I'd met were so passionate about it, I couldn't find anything negative about it.  The track order flowed so evenly, one right into the next, and they had the touches of every band I love.  

Jumping right into the first track, it's light and dives right into my exact thoughts of high school and summer relationships.  Now, for any album that's released in January, having this feel to an album is perfect, because the warmth in it will light up the coldest of days.  The vocalist reminds me of Boys Like Girls, but musically, they have the synth feel of 3OH!3. 

The one track I couldn't stop listening to for the past week though has to be the track with featured artist Andrew Volpe.  Extraordinary Life brings me back to any Coldplay song when I'm feeling little bit down on life.  The necessary roughness that glides underneath the silky vocals will lull you through the bad and make you think of all the good memories in life.  How it is precious, and how you still have so much to get through, no matter what age you are.  

Another track I couldn't resist talking about is track six, A Little More.  This is for lovers of the lyrical abilities of All Time Low, and musical stylings of The White Tie Affair.  Very synth pop in style, and I actually looked at the lyrics a few times just so I could end up singing along.  The backbeat was so in your face that it made your energy levels rise until you were singing along.  Have to admit, my little brothers looked at me weird for a little bit.  

The last song I have to mention is probably my favorite on here.  Track nine, From Somewhere to Here.  I love ballads that slowly raise the tempo until it's a reminiscent slow rock anthem.  That and it reminds me of the song Miserable At Best by Mayday Parade.  
The music just sounds so raw.  You can feel every ounce of emotion, and it really pulls you into the story.  Absolutely loved it!

Overall this album kept me guessing.  Very few albums can bring out many emotions in me after all this time, but I smiled, laughed, cried, and reminisced.  It was so refreshing after I finished.  And now that I can finally put my words down it feels ten times better.  This one took time, but all great things do.  These Kansas City boys are still on the East Coast with a final show on the 23rd in Philly at the UACA Hall.  

They put on awesome live shows, and are even better conversationalists if you get a moment to talk to them. 


Album Review:  10/10


Check em out on their Site:  Pilot For A Day
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