Banner Pilot

Resignation Day (Reissue)

Written by: PP on 12/10/2010 05:59:06

Ever since the release of their arguably best album to date, the already seminal "Collapser" from a little over a year ago, Banner Pilot have been considered to be one of the forerunners of the Midwestern punk rock revival, the straight-forward, no-frills approach to writing melodic punk that's taking the genre back to the basics, back to the golden days of mid 90s when nearly every band induced a relaxed feel good atmosphere wherever they played. With a new wave of Fat Wreck Chords bands gaining steam in the last five years or so, the movement is slowly taking over as the new trend within the genre, with these guys belong to an exclusive and highly acclaimed group of bands that also houses the likes of The Lawrence Arms, American Steel, Dillinger Four, The Dopamines and so forth. No signs of saturation exist just yet, which is why the re-issue of Banner Pilot's debut album "Resignation Day" is a much welcome addition for this scribe. The original disc, you see, was heavily plagued by terrible mixing, which has been rectified here through a complete re-mastering of the songs, giving the record essentially the same polished/rough dynamic as "Collapser".

And essentially, "Collapser" is simply an extension of what was started on this record originally. Their two albums sound so much alike that unless you're a fan, you'll have a difficult time in distinguishing them from one another. While that might sound like a weakness to some, this band truly makes medium tempo basement punk songs into an art form without sounding repetitive at any stage. They've managed to craft a sound that's very much their own, but one that isn't shy to deal respectful nods to the heavyweights (The Lawrence Arms, Dillinger Four etc), and they do it through such simplistic elements that one can't but stand in awe over how they put them together so well to appeal to so many. Every riff, every bass-line, and every line sung by the scratchy voice of their singer oozes honesty and down-to-earthness, usually accompanied by a wonderful feeling of familiar warmth and a welcoming atmosphere. It's impressive how well their music flows throughout their albums despite not being flashy nor technical, though that is perhaps precisely the reason for it.

Running bass-lines are clearly present in the mix, adding in character to the end of the rhythm lines, and softly distorted guitars level at medium tempo throughout. It all sounds very samey, granted, but yet admirably accessible and enjoyable even in the long run. It's the beauty of no-frills music, it doesn't have any additional bullshit to distract you from the core of the sound itself. That's why it's often difficult to elevate one Banner Pilot song over another, but here "Overwinter" and "Saltash Luck" in particular have anthemic sections where the guitar melody and vocal harmonies meet at just the right moments to give punk rock fans chills. They're writing the same style with no deviation for two albums now, but because of the consistent feel-good factor to any and all of their songs, both records sound fresh and interesting in their own right. The re-mastering and re-issuing of this gem of a record was absolutely the right choice.

8

Download: Overwinter, Saltash Luck
For the fans of: The Lawrence Arms, Dillinger Four, American Steel
Listen: Myspace

Release date 14.09.2010 (originally in 2008)
Fat Wreck Chords

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