Banner Pilot - Resignation Day CD Review

In the past ten years or so we've seen a lot in the pop-punk geography from the sunny climes of California to the rough and tumble Midwest. With a band like Dillinger Four leading the way pop-punk has morphed into a gruff-vocal fronted aggressively-charged sonic assault. Bands like Rivethead, Off With Their Heads, and The Swellers have followed and, while they may have each added their own personal touches to the scrappy sound, the ramshackle, beer-fueled ditties are still present. Banner Pilot call this same Midwestern pop-punk sound their own and on the newest album they show just why they are so damn at good at it.

Amongst the gravelly vocals and fuzzed-up guitars of Jawbreaker, the melodic-leads of Screeching Weasel, and the energy of just about any hyperactive punk band Banner Pilot craft simple, albeit catchy, tunes full of just as much charm as spit. Despite punk's outsider cultural leanings Banner Pilot exhibit classic pop songwriting tenants that work remarkably well thanks to a knack for melody and music that never seeks to overwhelm the listener with technical complexity.

The one, two punch of "Overwinter" and "Cut Bait" open the album with a melodic bounce and runaway train of sound respectively. You quickly realize that Banner Pilot may take their songwriting seriously, but they also pack enough energy into each of their songs to heat up the winter-chilled basement shows that take place in their hometown of Minneapolis.

"Empty Bottles" recalls Lookout! Records classics like The Queers as the band pile a high-pitched on top of some overly-distorted chords and a surf-tinged drum beat. Meanwhile the gruff vocal-lines dance back and forth like some twisted little nursery rhyme. The drum and guitar break is also a nice touch and shows just how compact this are band when it ends almost just as soon as it started.

"Saltash Luck" slows things down a bit, well at least during its verses, and the result is a palm-muted lament that allows for a little breathing room on the record. It's here that the desperation and frustration really comes out and vocals that once sounded pissed and/or excited now sound weary and pleading. It's a nice dynamic shift on an otherwise basic pop-punk album.

The opening of "Absentee" sees a little bass flair on an album where it is otherwise relegated to root-note status and makes for yet another sweet little treat packed within a scrappy mass of overdriven rockers.

Yeah, Banner Pilot aren't charting any new territory and things like "production" and "tone" don't even seem worth mentioning here, but when it comes to crafting catchy songs they've got it down. And isn't that what pop-punk has always been about? In this era of flashy, MTV-promoted "punk" it is always a treat to reach back into the underground and unearth a band like Banner Pilot. A band that nods to punk's traditions, while crafting their own unique take on the genre.