What do you get when you have European techno pop infused with brit-pop/rock?Shiny Toy Guns.
In the last few decades music genres have become a bit blurry. Shiny Toy Guns fits into all the genres mentioned above, but the finished product gels so well that it becomes a genre of its own. The electro-pop/rock of Shiny Toy Guns is exceptional because it is not repetitive. Each song on their debut "We Are Pilots" brings something new to the table, every track is decidedly different from the last.
"We Are Pilots" may sound like different bands throughout the record, yet it has a seemingly complete feeling as an album. That is a feat not many have achieved, let alone on a debut album. With both male and female vocals, the group expands boundaries. Some tracks are duets between Chad Petree and Carah Charnow and others feature only either of their voices which creates an interesting listening experience. Few bands have blended electronica and rock this well without having 12-minute tracks.
Tracks of note:
Track 1 "You Are The One" is a duet with heavy synth but with rock sensibility. It is a masterfully produced track (as all of the songs on the record are) that may leave the casual listener with a false idea of the rest of the band's catalogue. Until the next track explodes through the speakers.Track 2 "Le Disko" is vocally dominated by Charnow with a jumpy beat and melody that makes it one of the most effective electro-rock/pop tracks ever created. The song has a magnificent build: it stops exactly when it needs to, it grasps the listener with mounting intensity and the bridge is significantly different than the rest of the song (keeping it interesting). And just when the listener might think they understand where the album is going, the next track begins.
Track 3 "Starts With One" takes a darker turn by taking a moodier, more impacting sound with anthemic guitar riffs and a very effective synth string section. Petree's voice carries the melody with a sense of longing and intimacy that is remarkable for the large sound of the track. This is easily the best song off the album.
Track 5 "Don't Cry Out" features Charnow's voice prominently yet it sounds different than in previous songs. (Except for maybe the brilliant bridge of "Le Disko".) It's an electronic/pop ballad that works very well yet is not up to par with the first three gems of the album.
Track 7 "Waiting" sounds like it was ripped out of the 1980's. The distortion on Petree's voice and the slow, driving synth (along with ambient noises) in the song make it a stand out that makes it a definite take-it-or-leave-it track. I chose to take it and it worked out marvellously for me.
Track 8 "Rainy Monday" is pure, unadulterated pop music. It sounds like a hit song from a soundtrack from a 1990's movie. Take that as you may.
Track 10 "Shaken" takes a while to pick up, but when it does it reaches the status of one of the most haunting and memorable tracks on the album with numerous throwbacks to 80s power-ballads.
Download:
Starts With One,
Le Disko,
You Are the One,
Shaken
