The characterful descending riff on Pilots’ latest single ‘Leave Someone’ is menacing and unforgettable. A slow-burning anthem by an extremely gifted group, ‘Leave Someone’ just got me more hooked onto Pilots’ provocative atmosphere and brooding songwriting.
It has really been a long time since I last heard scruffy and overdriven guitar riffs that actually moved me before I got introduced to the sound of the Ashtead, Surrey-based outfit Pilots. A creative powerhouse founded in 2019 and got things really going during the musically fruitful lockdown year, Pilots like to refer to themselves as a bridge between The Beatles, Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve, and similar quintessential British groups. In reality, this bridge does an outstanding job representing itself as an independent and unique musical force to be reckoned with, far more than a mere comparison point to iconic British bands.
For example, ‘Leave Someone’, the group’s latest single, starts things out with a syncopated descending riff that sounds familiar, and familiarly ominous. Underneath, a steady groove builds into a gratifying chorus. The vocals, brooding and chill, reminded me of Other Lives’ Jesse Tabish, one of my absolute favorites, while the music remained readily rowdier and crunchier than that of Other Lives. It suffices to pay attention to the tones of the guitars and to the neatly packed riffs, wah-wahed licks, and solos, played tightly and mixed to perfection on ‘Leave Someone’ to truly start admiring Pilots for the unique role they play in bridging the past and the present.
A fantastic, intricate, and seething rock anthem that satisfied a hunger for overdriven riffs and tasty blues licks that I did not realize I had.
