Pilate
Sell Control for Life's Speed

As I write this review, I learn that for legal reasons, Pilate, a little-known Canadian band I highly admire, will change their name to Pilot Speed. It's a good sign, considering that the legal reason is mainly related to the commercial distribution of their albums outside Canada (the album I'm reviewing will be re-released, with an extra track, under the name "Into The West"). I'm a bit upset: I had really gotten attached to these two albums that bear their name: "Pilate" on the cover. What a pity.

Pilate is a group composed of four excellent Canadian musicians: Todd Clark (singer-guitarist), Chris Greenough (lead guitar), Ruby Bumrah (bassist), Bill Keeley (drummer). They formed in 1999 in Toronto, and their debut took place in 2001 with the EP "For All That's Given, Wasted." Their style immediately appeared similar to that of bands that were popular at the time, such as Coldplay and Radiohead, but it would be mistaken to limit the comparisons to these. Pilate encompasses significant influences that extend beyond the already mentioned bands and also reach artists of the caliber of Jeff Buckley. Their first album ("Caught by the Window") was released in 2003 and soon made them famous across Canada, deservedly so. Every song on that record has something special; none is trivial, none deserves to be skipped to get to the next. Their style is a emotional rock, never harsh nor excessively sweet.
With such a great album behind them, a lot was expected from their next "Sell Control for Life's Speed," officially released on April 25, 2006 (in Canada, a few days later in the U. S. A.); above all, there was an expectation for the band to continue on the same wavelength and manage to establish themselves not only at home but also abroad.

The album opens with "Knife-Grey Sea." The first track of the album, as with all Pilate's works, contains the lyric that gives the album its name. It is a truly introductory track, opening with a crescendo, then culminating in the start of the actual song. For those who have heavily listened to the previous album, it's a great impact: the impression is that the core elements are preserved but evolved so as not to sound repetitive. Always dominating is Clark's exceptionally expressive voice, accompanied by Greenough's cutting guitar. If in the other two works the first song was just a hint, here it is more: it indicates the path to follow. Indeed, "Barely Listening" arrives, and Pilate are no longer what they used to be, for better or worse. Their style becomes a more assertive rock, still "emo" (allow me the overused term), but in a different way. The difference between "Collide," a track from the previous album, and this "Barely Listening," might suffice to describe the discrepancies between the two works. The rhythm here is pressing, almost frantic, unlike the 2003 songs. Even more striking is the break of "A Kind of Hope," one of the band's most successful tracks, in the opinion of the writer. Greenough's guitar even resorts to sound solutions that verge on psychedelia, then resorts to distortion during the choruses. It's a true rock song and has little in common with bands like Coldplay and Radiohead, even less with U2, whom some see evoked in this second album. The following "Over-ground" continues according to the sound rules dictated by Greenough, who even seeks some solutions that vaguely recall Math-rock, like the cyclical, mathematical repetition of the same sounds. In the background of the track (which, with different accompaniment, would certainly have been interpreted by Clark in the style of the old album) is Keeley's always "surgical" drumming. The fifth of the eleven tracks is an unprecedented 8-minute emotion. "Don't stare," perhaps excessively long, is an exciting song in which Clark's always meaningful lyrics find peace. "I won't blame you" is a return to the past. Clark's voice, very similar to Buckley junior's, carries us like a boat on the sea. It's a sad song, dominated by Clark's lyrics and voice, which fade out at the end over Greenough's guitar, excellent at varying the acoustic melody imposed by Clark. Different in sound but not in reasons is the following "Turn the lights on," of which it certainly cannot be said it is unsuccessful, even if the arrangement might even seem too baroque. "Lover come in" is a weaker song, not trivial, but not up to the standard of the previous songs. The always pleasant guitar by Greenough stands out, capable of enlivening even the dimmest song. It's time for "Ambulance": it's strange, it begins with Keeley setting the rhythm; Clark accepts the challenge and, with the help of yet another excellent Greenough, crafts a beautiful song, which culminates in a magnificent crescendo that leads to the end of the track. Goosebumps. "Hold the line," the penultimate piece, is a song from "Caught by the window": it stands out in this second album. It's a nice return to the past, but its inclusion in this much more rock work than the previous one seems a bit forced. Certainly, a certain variation throughout the album can only be beneficial to the final product, even if it creates some discontinuity. "Into the West" closes the work with Clark accompanying himself on the piano in a song that fits well after the previous one but is highly atypical considering the overall tone of the album. A song of little significance, in my opinion.

Well, after memorizing all the Pilate albums, I feel I can say that their shift towards a "stronger" rock is certainly noteworthy. This "Sell Control for Life's Speed" is a beautiful album, but it will be hard-pressed to break into the emotions of listeners as the previous one did. Those who loved the first album may feel taken aback but will likely grow to love this one too, even if perhaps not in the same way. Those starting from here, however, might not be able to fall in love with the previous one, which might even seem too sweet. I hope you can prove me wrong!

RATING: 7.5/10