Idiot Pilot, a duo from Bellingham, Washington, made their name performing live with nothing but a laptop and guitar, recording their debut album on Pro Tools, and merging influences like U2, Aphex Twin, , Jeff Buckley, and Blood Brothers…all before reaching drinking age.
The duo, consisting of multi-instrumentalist/screamer Daniel Anderson and singer Michael Harris, has always aspired to reach a wide audience; with Wolves, that ambition is no longer hypothetical (a song from the album, “Retina and the Sky,” was featured on the soundtrack to this summer’s popcorn epic Transformers).
Aside from the rare whiff of nü-metal, the only compromise from the band’s unique brew of anthemic pop, arch electronics, and shrieking hardcore is a smoothing of the varied influences into a unified sound. Even then, the bursts of hardcore — few at first, increasing as the album progresses, used to exhilarating effect in “Red Museum,” and reaching an apex in the convoluted “Planted in the Dark” — startle, emerging as they do from the wistful swirl of rich, electronic post-punk.
Progressive exercises like “Good Luck” leave the listener to marvel anew that such studied pop is made by a couple of upstarts with a laptop, a guitar, and new-found access to studios.
– Lyam White
Idiot Pilot (Reprise)
This album is a gift from God himself. It has both of our blessings. Listen to it or be destroyed! 🙂 – Love Jesus