All the Dead Pilots, Easily Lost in the Present
reviewed by Jonathan Dirksen
Label: Ambiguous City!/Hyphenated-American
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Without pussyfooting around the subject, All the Dead Pilots quite simply make good rock music. Easily Lost in the Present, the debut album from these Baltimore natives, boasts a respectable nine tracks on a CD tipping the scales only a shade over 30 minutes. And no, this isn't punk.
Fused together is a compilation of well crafted, densely packed songs that, if any longer, would not work together. In short, All the Dead Pilots' songs play like poets write; quick, concise and not wasting a damn bit of space.
Acting like a band putting out their third album instead of their first, they pack in songs that sound great without repeating themselves. Yeah, you can trace a common root through the entire album, but the songs play differently enough that you forget that this is their first album together. Granted, all four band members are veterans of other bands, but still…
Their songs inhale deeply with the occasional breather to let your ears cool down. They are the melodies of spring nights in beer gardens and small club venues where you wish more bands played: not so hard that your ears bleed but with enough verve to remind you that rock music is alive and kickin'.
The best thing about Easily Lost in the Present remains its absolute brilliant chemistry. Dave Ort's vocals knife through the soundscapes produced by his band mates like silk. Accompanying him is Paul Ort's frantic guitar, Greg Anderson's deft bass and the drums of Chris Smith that never ever seem to quit. When they come together, you get one hell of a ride you can bob your head, tap your foot and pump your fist to.
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