Idiot Pilot

Bellingham, WA’s Idiot Pilot uncomfortably straddle the line between completely experimental with their bombastic rock and accessible and safe. Their songs are sturdy but instead of heading into open water and letting go of song structures and formulas, they opt to delve into dwindling little guitar solos here and there, and also enjoy throwing in the odd synth ditty. This all makes sense when you learn that the album, their second, was produced by Ross Robinson (At the Drive-In) and Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus. Assuming the band have an actual identity, they just happened to find two producers who stretched them in different directions on the same street. "Elephant,” which features drums by Travis Barker, has hints of angular guitar and bass movements, and the drums are large and angry, whereas "Red Museum” is a cute, electronic-enhanced song with singing and screaming; it seems Idiot Pilot are afraid they’ll loose some fans if they go off the deep end with their experimental tendencies. I think it could do them some good. Where the band most definitely win is with Michael Harris’s provocative lyrics. Mentioning ideas of being disillusioned or following predetermined paths puts them ahead of their post-hardcore peers who are still whining about love and lust.