We Are Pilots (v3.0)

by

Shiny Toy Guns

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3 years in the making, Shiny Toy Guns have finally released their first album via a major record label. For those of you who do not know, many of the songs on this album are the 3rd 'released' version of them. Having followed them for almost a year and a half, I can honestly say that I am very pround and very pleased with this band's success. They are great people that make even greater music. The clarity and depth of all the songs on the album is superb. The 'final' versions of all the songs (except for Chemistry of a Car Crash and Jackie Will Save Me) all sound better than they ever have before. Combining their old sounds (those who have heard We Are Pilots v1 or v2 know) and moving them towards a more humanitized and deep direction with a more rock and roll edge. My only disappointment with the work is that I liked v2's version Shaken a lot more and recommend to everyone that buys this album to try and find a copy of it, as well as other songs from their previous work that never made to this final cut (Turn to Real Life, Rocketship, Photograph, Weather Girl, Sky Fell Over Me, Joel's Theme, I Promise You Walls, Ritz (cover of Taco's), Stripped (AMAZING cover of Depeche Mode's), Nothing Compares 2 U (cover of Prince's), and the super-hard-to-find demos Cold War 2001 and Love or Something Like It.

All in all, it's almost impossible to remain still when listening to Shiny Toy Guns. Their music, their words, their purpose covers the whole spectrum of emotion, energy, inspiration, nostalgia, and passion. Songs like Rainy Monday, You Are the One, Starts With One, Chemistry of a Car Crash, Stripped (older), and Shaken (older) are so raw in this way. Where as, suchs as Don't Cry Out, You Are the One, Rainy Monday, and Le Disko are songs just begging to be danced to. Don't take Shiny Toy Guns at face value; there is more to offer here than just mere 'electronica/80's synth pop/rock'. I compare those that do to the people that enjoyed the Matrix for its action scenes alone. Buy this album!

I bought this CD on a recommendation from a friend, and overall I'm pretty happy with it. The main thing to keep in mind about We Are Pilots is that it goes for the biggest emotions, and then aims its songs at the biggest audience. This is a very pop-oriented album, with very little subtlety to it.

The first song that really got my attention is "Le Disko"--how could you miss it? A very hot and seductive track, with sleazy beats and the-girls-are-in-control lyrics. "When They Came for Us" pines for lost innocence on a soaring cloud of cotton candy. And "Don't Cry Out" is the clearest example--in the chorus, anyway, which is what matters most in all of these songs--of Shiny Toy Guns' massive debt to the anthemic electronic pop of New Order.

But what's best here may be the over-the-top melodrama of "Chemistry of a Car Crash," which aims for the lofty post-breakup emoting of Coldplay. "Rainy Monday" is equally effective, with a surprising acoustic guitar in the verses--and then it's back to the chimes overlaid on the big, driving sound of your favorite New Wave act.

There are a few tracks to skip--"Starts With One" is almost annoying in its blandness, and "Shaken" is striving for something like a hard rock sound, but falling pretty far short. Singer Carah Faye also turns in an embarrassing effort with the closing eponymous track, which is something like the theme to a dysfunctional twelve-year-old's birthday party.

Yes, these songs are obvious and heavy-handed, but when it comes to the songs you like, you'll still find yourself turning them up loud.