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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful piece of work, October 19, 2006
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!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Forget the Killers!!! The best newish 80s-influenced new wave band is Shiny Toy Guns!!!, October 31, 2006
Really, this is the truth. Of all the new new wave bands out there now, there are a few good ones, like Maverick's Clear Static and Warner Bros' Mute Math, but only LA's Shiny Toy Guns understand this genre best, while keeping a foot in the 21st century here and now, to keep things fresh, and not too retro.
Why are STG better than everyone else in this area?? Four things: melancholia, darkness, textured atmosphere, and really good hooky songwriting. Things remain interesting with the alternating of Chad's and Cara's singing...they are different enough, with a male/female approach, but with an interesting balance & point/counterpoint. Their lyrics are thoughtful, uplifting, sweet, and sad in spots, and their musical approach of equal parts analog synth and herd-edged guitars, with the best drumming since Keith Moon (Really!!) by Mikey, really knock STG out of the park.
If there's any of these type of bands who deserve success most, it's Shiny Toy Guns, period. There's an ART to their music, not not a whiff of concern for commercial success...if they do succeed (decent debuts on the Billboard charts so STG are on their way), it will be on their own terms, which is awesome. Just caught STG live last night, and I was literally stunned by what I saw...not only do the songs sound great live, there's more of an edge...Mikey was really wailing too, damn!!...they are musically diverse, with Cara and Jeremy switching instruments, and they are visually striking, so watching them is as much a feast for the eyes as the tunes are for the ears.
Anyhoo, on this Version 3.0 of "We Are Pilots", the songs themselves are stunning...I told Chad that "Rainy Monday" was my fave on the album, and he really seemed to appreciate that, with his wife Emily echoing that, as Chad & his brother Stephen wrote it about her...awww, how sweet. All the songs are great really, with diversity and lots of feeling...many synth bands are cold, clinical and soulless...not STG!!! They evoke warmth and humanity in their tunes, and it comes across in the songs themselves and the bandmembers as people. They are really humble, friendly, smart and quite cool...I'd count them among my best friends if I knew them better...maybe in time, this will be the case...they DID get me on their guestlist at their show so that was a start.
Oh yes, other fave songs here...opener "You Are The One", the amazing "Don't Cry Out", the fun single "Le Disko", the awesome "When They Came For Us", the sweet Cara-sung "Jackie Will Save Me", and the haunting closer (on the BestBuy version) "I Promise You Walls"...I was told by the band about 2 earlier versions of "We Are Pilots", I'd love to track them down for the extra and earlier songs and covers, which I hear are great. I also have to add that I love the spaciness in their songs, and from talking with Chad, that his fave band of all time is Pink Floyd, it makes a lot of sense.
Support this band, great GREAT music and great people. You can't get better than that.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
magnificant debut, December 23, 2006
This album is a m a z i n g. You've probally heard their song " Le Disko" on the radio and while that song is good it is no where near the best song on the cd.
Their cd has a dark feel, almost like your driving around in the rain. Their lyrics are well written and their sound is very experimental and fresh.
Great tracks: waiting, rainy mondays, chemistry of a car crash, and we are pilots.
You may not get into the record at first, because the rest of cd doesn't sound much like their hit single, but give it a try- you'll loooove them
=]
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album We Are Pilots 
