Blind Pilot

3 Rounds and a Sound

(Expunged)

Record Review by Amber Henson

It’s funny how the simplest things can be the best things.  I know I’m getting into cliché territory, but bear with me for a moment. Some of my favorite memories are simple things: picking blackberries in the creek with my best friend when I was little; spending summers in the hammock in my backyard, endlessly reading Katharine Hepburn biographies; sitting next to someone I care for very much, just doing nothing in particular.

3 Rounds and a Sound, Blind Pilot’s first album, reminds me of those simple moments.  The acoustic guitars, effortless horn parts, and Ben Gibbard-like hopeful singing is beautiful in its simplicity.  This idea is something that my sweet voice-idol, Jeremy Messersmith, has figured out to a T.  Blind Pilot's Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski are well on their way. 

Blind Pilot is not radio-friendly (especially since the recent death of LA’s Indie 103.1.  RIP, my radio friend), since it is simply too smart.  Nebeker’s voice is strong and silent, and you can tell that it just floats out of him with hardly any effort.  The music (Nebeker on guitar and bass and Dobrowski on drums, with additional musicians for extra vocals, horns, and strings) is indie-folk-pop, with some good country mixed in, Johnny Cash style (that is to say, if you don’t remind me of Johnny, then you’re the wrong kind of country). 

The album builds, beginning with easy, pleading vocals and strumming guitars and then moving into more driving, drum heavy, minor key sorts of things, with a female voice (Kati Claborn) helping out every so often.  There is a singer/songwriter quality that comes forth, but the music is just too big for that to be all that’s happening.  It’s probably from the strong sense of stories being told on most of the songs.  You don’t even have to listen to the lyrics to get the idea that there is a tale being sung.

Blind Pilot is a band that clearly cares deeply for their craft, and what they give their audience is lovely, heartfelt music.