Blind Pilot

You Should Know


I must visit Portland, Oregon soon. It has a great music scene, breathtaking natural beauty, and an exciting young NBA team (I'm a basketball fan). I may have unfairly built the city into a beacon of awesomeness in my head but it's hard to argue with the quality of music originating there. Then again, wherever there is a great music scene, there are also throngs of know-it-all hipsters with upturned noses and holier-than-thou complexes. Life is a game of pros and cons. But anyways, I digress. I'm here to tell you that indie-folk duo Blind Pilot deserves to be added to that ever-expanding list of notable indie Portland musicians. While the indie-folk categorization seems fitting considering most of the duo's songs are built around acoustic guitar and brushed drums, these songs could just as easily be called pop songs if they were arranged accordingly. My first couple listens of the band's 2008 album 3 Rounds And A Sound were pleasant but unassuming. Not particularly earth-shattering, just nice. Then I found myself listening to it again. And again. Cue Al Pacino saying: "Just when I thought I was out, THEY PULL ME BACK IN." That's the thing about Blind Pilot. Singer/guitarist Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski know how to write songs. As is the case with a lot of mellow music, the brilliance is in the subtlety. Nebeker's voice is intimate and warm and his lyrics are equal parts confessional and vague. So give this album three or four spins before coming to any conclusions. I guarantee you'll find yourself randomly humming songs like "On Red Thread" and "The Story I Heard." This is an impressive debut album. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Blind Pilot - Oviedo
MP3: Blind Pilot - One Red Thread

Tags: Blind Pilot, 3 Rounds And A Sound, Review