I’ve been looking forward to hearing Collapser since I first heard (via their @bannerpilot Twitter account) that the guys in Banner Pilot were working on a new record. I mean, it’s kinda hard to believe that the band has a new record out already considering their debut full-length, Resignation Day, was released barely a year ago. I got even more excited when I found out that Collapser would be released on Fat Wreck Chords.
Now, I’ve been big fan of Banner Pilot and everything they’ve released since they sent me their Pass The Poison EP back in 2006, and I can honestly say that Collapser is the best thing they’ve released. I wasn’t quite as instantly smitten with Collapser like I was with Resignation Day but once I got my head around the songs on Collapser I was (again) hooked. Banner Pilot’s balls-to-the-wall full-throttle approach to pop-punk is near flawless. There is zero filler on this record, just killer hooks and shitty basement punk rock (and I mean that in the best possible way). It’s pop-punk with an emphasis on the punk and not the pop. The vocals are raspy and the bass playing is great with fills in all the right places.
The production (while better than on Resignation Day) is kinda muddy in places where I’d like more clarity, the guitars sound overly washed out at times, and the bass is too high in the mix. In other words, it is perfect. Collapser just feels comfortable and familiar in all its irresistible melodic glory. Worn and weathered like a combination of This Shit Is Genius, Duct Tape Soup, and My Brain Hurts. It’s a contender for my favorite album of 2009 and the album finishes with a bang as the second half is actually a bit stronger than the first half.
After meeting the guys in Banner Pilot last weekend I can honestly say they are friendly and seem as “normal” as you and me. I also think that some of the words I wrote about Resignation Day also fit perfectly when describing Collapser. “Banner Pilot makes me feel young and reminds me of everything that I love about punk rock music… it’s a little slice of heaven on a [vinyl platter] like photocopied fliers hanging on your bedroom wall, tattered Chuck Taylors, and the crackle of a 7″ on the stereo… Banner Pilot isn’t rewriting any punk rock rulebooks here [but] the difference is they do it better than just about anyone else right now and it’s fucking great.”
MP3 | Banner Pilot – Skeleton Key Collapser
MP3 | Banner Pilot – Greenwood Collapser
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Weird. I wasn’t really into punk all that much when it first arrived…but now I’m liking it more. Maybe it’s true: once you hit middle age maybe you do start getting younger again. Thanks. Nicely done site…
These guys are really good!
Awesome find.