Customer Reviews

We Are Pilots [Explicit]

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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
=]

After relentless touring and gaining a steady following via word-of-mouth and a pinch of help from myspace, Shiny Toy Guns have finally arrived with their major label debut, We Are Pilots.

11 songs make up the tracklist, most re-recorded from former demos with some new additions, so there is something here for fans new and old. The production on these tracks is a welcome enhancement to the already great songs, some of them sounding completely refreshed (When They Came For Us) while others haven't changed too much (You Are The One).

Overall I would say this is one of the most solid debuts I have heard in quite some time. Why don't you have a copy yet?

Inside We Are Pilot's liner notes there are the words Version 3.0, alluding to the fact that this major label debut by Shiny Toy Guns is in fact the third incarnation of this album (two different demo versions being released previously). Given that this is the version released to cd shelves, it should be perfected, right? The band certainly photograph well, looking like charismatic sci-fi superheroes in their press photos. And the record sounds great. Very stylish. The question then becomes: is this a case of style over substance?

Well... yes and no. The record has some amazing high points, and the songs appearing on earlier demo versions of the album have been polished until they...ahem...shine. This being said, We Are Pilots is not quite as consistent as it could (and should) be. Let's get the clunkers out of the way first, since there are thankfully very few. Tracks like Starts With One and Chemistry Of A Car Crash are the kind of songs that you could throw against the wall a hundred times and they still wouldn't stick. Just not memorable enough. Luckily, there is plenty to love on We Are Pilots. The album's centerpiece is When They Came For Us, an astonishing cinematic science fiction story-song. It's mysterious and hauntingly alien, just like those press photos. Surefire dance smashes Le Disko and Don't Cry Out give the album some much needed showstopper power, though elegant opener You Are The One and gorgeous closer We Are Pilots shouldn't be missed either.

While Shiny Toy Guns don't particularly reinvent anything, they play their electro/rock/pop combination with verve and an earnestness that's absolutely contagious. The album has its flaws, but you'll need a break to get a drink in between fits of dancing anyway.

Key Tracks: When They Came For Us, Le Disko, Don't Cry Out

If you love the electro rock/retro new wave tracks from this CD, then you are going to want "Rocketship", a strong track in this genre that features the male vocalist, electro dance beats, and a slammin electro guitar riff. It should have been included on the US release, because it's fantastic.

This album was a great find! It is a nice change of pace from some of the angst-ridden tunes, or over-produced bubblegum one finds churned out so frequently lately. Easy to listen to, and all of the tracks are keepers, not just one or two featured singles. A nice variance from smooth and trancy tracks like "Don't Cry Out", to more 'rockin' tracks like "Le Disko", this band has a lot to offer, unless you have something against good vocals and an electronic/rock sound.

I discovered this band long ago by way of a friend. Their original release of the same title featured a lot more tracks - excellent tracks that are missing here, sadly enough. However this album is truly a work of art. A little dark, a little sad, and very inspirational, it's surprisingly emotional and highly humanistic for electronica. I'll be buying their next album that's for damn sure. This is a very talented group of people and I wish them all the best. Just go buy it.

We Are Pilots ver. 3.0 is a masterpiece! Crisp and clear from start to finish with songs that knock you off your feet. If you haven't fallen in love with these kids yet, you're about to. I was introduced to their music about a year ago, and I still can't get enough...Thanks, Mikal Moore! :)

Check out their myspace to hear songs and get a better look at what makes up this amazing band, [...] That's how I discovered them.

AWESOME. PERIOD.

I recently discovered Shiny Toy Guns courtesy of a friend of mine on Myspace. When I heard samples of their songs, I was immediately hooked. The music brought back memories when I wore acid washed jeans and had big hair back in the 1980s. Shiny Toy Guns takes the best elements of past new wave and combine it with modern rock. I was lucky to receive a copy of the new version of the band's "We Are Pilots" cd. The cd kicks off with the killer electroclash "Le Disko" which reminded me a bit of Fischerspooner and Goldfrapp. Very disco (in my book that means cool). Shiny Toy Guns' sound reminds me of Book of Love, New Order, Depeche Mode, and The Cure. In fact "You Are the One" sounded like something The Cure might have done back in the '80s. My personal favorite song on the cd is the acoustic/dance song "Rainy Monday". The song is addictively catchy. I find myself playing this song over and over again. On the band's new version of "We Are Pilots", there is a killer interpretation of Depeche Mode's "Stripped". Their cover isn't your typical paint by number cover. Shiny Toy Guns adds their own flavor to the song. "We Are Pilots" sounds eerily like Book of Love with the lush electronic beats and delicate female vocals. Great song. Overall the cd rocks. If you are a fan of '80s synthpop, this album is for you.

Here are the tracks on the updated version of "We Are Pilots":
Le Disko
You Are the One
Don't Cry Out
Rainy Monday
We Are Pilots
Shaken
Turn to Real Life
Waiting
When They Came For Us
Weather Girl
Photograph
Stripped