Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound
Blind Pilot
3 Rounds and a Sound
Expunged; 2008
Amazingly, there was a time when people weren’t tired of the singer-songwriter format, when the concept of a traveling troubadour with his guitar wasn’t a punch line for some “folk singers are wussies” screed. Of course, it’s easy to detect where the contemporary backlash began: whether you blame Bright Eyes (this reviewer doesn’t), Dashboard Confessional, Jack Johnson, or (**shudder**) Ryan Cabrera, the available fodder is quite extensive. Moreover, it’s easy to mock the effect that whiny wannabes have upon the heartstrings and pocketbooks of overly sensitive teenaged women (and the occasional guy who hopes to market his cheesy three-chord poetry into a string of girlfriends). The sad casualty in all of this is the actual folk/pop-formatted singer/group/band who possesses actual talent, who has real stories to tell – this person has to fight through a host of preconceived notions and misconceptions for his/her music to be taken at face value.
For you see, one of the truer marks of a great folk song is not how easily the crowd can sing along at a show (though that can be an important component), but it’s how quickly the crowd can be mesmerized into a stunned silence over the beauty of the words and the music backing those words. So, when you believe in yourselves and your art as deeply as Blind Pilot does, you’re more than willing to push and press in all possible directions to have your music heard. In fact, this Portland, OR-based duo made an early name for themselves by packing up their instruments and limited other necessities to bike around the Pacific Northwest from gig to gig, from show to show. Cutesy travel stories aside, what makes the music on their debut record, 3 Rounds and a Sound, work is how charming, accessible, and substantive the songs are. On the surface, the songs project an unabashed innocence, but there’s a strain of deep-seated world-weariness running throughout the project, giving it a depth and pathos that others only attempt to convey. Featuring a sound reminiscent of early Bright Eyes, Iron And Wine, and The Shins (gone acoustic) and solid tracks like “Oviedo,” “Poor Boy,” “Go On, Say It,” and the title cut, Blind Pilot has proffered an album that is refreshing in both its simplicity and its high quality of artistry.
pedro said,
July 31, 2008 at 9:32 am
I like the reviews, most of the time they make me want to check out the band. How do you choose what you review? Do your editors make you review this or that?
Do you ever do any reviews of local bands? I’d like to hear your thoughts on the new Papermoons cd and Hollywood Black ep. (I’m not in any of these bands or any band for that matter)
Anyway keep up the good work.
dryvetyme said,
July 31, 2008 at 10:54 am
I choose what to review for this blog based upon what I want to review. No more & no less. Regarding the magazines/websites for whom I work, I write reviews based upon what my editors assign to me. There are times when I do submit material that I’ve conjured up on my own and I’m working towards creating more of my own content for my print jobs.
When I typically review music and/or do interviews for local bands, it finds its way into ENVY Magazine, mostly because they’re a Texas-based scene magazines. Right now, they have Houston & Dallas versions, but they’re expanding to Austin & San Antonio in Fall 2008.
I did receive a press pass to the Hollywood Black EP Release Party at the end of June, but I was unable to attend as I was working at Boy Scout Summer Camp. Since my return from camp (5 days ago), I have yet to acquire that EP, though I’ve heard only very good things about it.
Thanks for always reading. I appreciate your comments & questions.
Bob Ham said,
August 1, 2008 at 5:11 pm
They played five or six songs, didn’t overstay their welcome and when responding to the crowd’s pleas for more, Israel Nebeker instead came out said to see the rest of the bands who were playing the festival.
That’s the mark of a great band. I have no doubt in my spotty little brain that this band is going to be hugely successful and that it will happen very soon.
dryvetyme said,
August 2, 2008 at 1:12 am