Pilate

By Garth Paulson

There are a lot of negative things I could say about this album. The easiest thing would be giving it a bad review and moving on, except for one little problem: it isn’t bad. Despite all their flaws, Pilate (who will be supporting The Dears Fri., Oct. 24 at SAIT) managed to create an entirely pleasing record.

Musically it’s impossible not to draw parallels to Coldplay and The Bends-era Radiohead, which would seem like a bad thing if Pilate didn’t pull it off so well. The beautifully subtle banjo picking on “Mercy” offers a glimpse at Pilate’s potential while the instantly catchy guitar on “Into Your Hideout” is the kind of riff U2 wishes they could still write.

What really holds the band together and pulls Caught by the Window out of mediocrity are singer Todd Clark’s stunning vocals. Clark’s voice has the power to transform even the most tired lyrics (“When I can’t feel you I’m not alright”) into spine-tingling literary gold.

Pilate could do great things if they manage to step out of the shadows of their influences. If not, we can all look forward to their OK Computer.

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