Pilot Speed - Wooden Bones

Everyone has an opinion on what makes a great album; some say it's the inclusion of several big hits and some others might say that it's the ability to keep your feet thumping through every track.

Toronto-based Pilot Speed does both on Wooden Bones. Since I'm not really a radio guy, I get the rare opportunty to select what I think would be the hit singles myself. Because of this, it's always a pleasant surprise when a band can turn that into a tough decision.

There are only a few weak tracks on this album, but to say they are weak is only due to comparison to high standards set by the first four tracks: Put the Phone Down, Light You Up, Bluff, and Ain't No Life. If I had to choose, I would most likely have placed Light You Up as my first radio single, but it turns out that Pilot Speed has already chosen Put the Phone Down in that spot. I like both, but I think the chorus and driving beat of Light You Up separates it from a slightly repetative Put the Phone Down.

Pilot Speed's lyricist and frontman, Todd Clark, tends to drag you into his record at will. His voice is slightly airy, comes with a rasp at times and is always emotionally-charged (see the last minute of track #10, Wooden Bones). The band tends to pull from a Keane or Coldplay vibe in their more piano-driven tunes, but Clark's voice quickly reminds you that you're listening to something a bit more raw.

If I had to recommend three tracks?
- #2 Light You Up
- #3 Bluff
- #10 Wooden Bones

I'm not big into dropping arbitrary numbers around, but I'd rate this in the A-range along with their other albums: "Into the West" (Released in Canada as "Sell Control for Life's Speed") and "Caught By the Window" (When the band was known as "Pilate").