Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Originally forming as Pilate in the early 2000s, the Toronto-based rock quartet Pilot Speed changed their name to such in mid-2006 to avoid possible lawsuits as their music spread internationally from their native Canada, especially due to the "litigious nature of the United States" (as taken from a message on the band's website). Pilate were born in 2000 after vocalist and New Zealand native Todd Clark left the music program at the University of Western Ontario where he'd been studying and placed an ad online for potential bandmates. Bassist Ruby Bumrah, a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, answered the call, bringing with him fellow alums Chris Greenough (guitar) and Bill Keeley (drums). Citing influences like Crowded House, Radiohead, and U2 for Pilate's especially sweeping brand of melodic rock – not so dissimilar to acts like Keane, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol – they released the six-song EP For All That's Given, Wasted in the summer of 2001. It quickly sold out its initial pressing and established the guys as players in the Canadian music scene.

They then landed opening slots on shows for Broken Social Scene, DFA 1979, and Hot Hot Heat, and received the honor of Best Unsigned Band at the 2002 North by Northeast music conference (Canada's version of SXSW in the U.S.). Soon after, Pilate inked a deal with indie MapleMusic Recordings, which then released their full-length debut, Caught by the Window, in 2003 (later released in the U.S. in March 2006). The album produced two hits on national radio and MuchMusic, as the guys toured North America, Australia, and Japan. Their follow-up, Sell Control for Life's Speed, appeared back at home in mid-2006, after which the band changed its name to Pilot Speed. The quartet had signed with Wind-Up earlier that same year following the completion of its third album overall (and first as Pilot Speed), Into the West; the label released the record that September.

Corey Apar, Allmusic.com

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Previous to Keane's smash debut Hopes and Fears, Pilate made great inroads in Canada with a similar brand of melancholic Coldplay-like emotionally driven pop. This album only exemplifies this niche as lead singer Todd Clark's high ethereal vocals bring to mind a mix of Chris Martin and Thom Yorke on the mellow opener "Endgame." The song is basically a teaser, though, at two minutes. More developed and more appealing is the lushly textured "Melt Into the Walls," thanks to drummer Bill Keeley's eclectic tempo. Guitarist Chris Greenough accents the song without stealing Clark's power. Pilate successfully and consistently tugs at your heartstrings, although the album's masterpiece "Into Your Hideout" is a foot-stomping power pop tune. Complete with dreamy harmonies, tight arrangements and a great flow, the song is well worth the album on its own. Fortunately, Pilate refuse to rest on that laurel alone. The soft, tender touches of "Mercy" sounds like Travis circa "Sing" before opening up slightly later on. The Brit band is also evoked on "Don't Waste Your Breath," a somber yet shining tune that sounds like a mix of the Beatles and Starsailor. The moody downbeat of "Fall Down" is another pleasant surprise although its Brian Wilson or Beach Boys harmony might not appeal to everyone. But Clark steals the album again with higher notes that are clearly delivered on the wistful, country-tinged "Collide." A jangle guitar makes "Perfect Thrill" more up-tempo and upbeat but pales to "Into Your Hideout." They get close with the anthem-like and grandiose "Alright" which contains a guitar riff on par with "Yellow." If there's one problem, it might be that some songs take a bit longer to get going, with a few clocking in close to six minutes. The soft pop milieu is often considered as a wimpy or pampered brand music, but it's hard not to relish when perfected on "The Travel Song."

Jason MacNeil, Allmusic.com

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Words such as "tender" and "fragile" are not the normal adjectives used to describe an alternative rock band, but in the case of Toronto group Pilate (also known as Pilate's Speed) the descriptions unquestionably qualify. Following up their impressive debut (2003's Caught By The Window) the quartet have smashed the sophomore jinx by releasing Self Control For Life's Speed, which not only meets but exceeds the levels of goodness achieved by their slightly more subdued debut. The lion's share of the music's magic is due to frontman/lyricist Todd Clark, who creates deeply emotive melodies, whether he is whispering optimism in the lyrics of "A Kind Of Hope" or jumping up an octave to open-throatedly sing out his passions in the disc's powerful opener "Knife-Grey Sea." The track "Don't Stare" is also a highlight, a lyrical and sonic dissection of the moment in a breakup where partners decide to walk away from each other. "Barely Listening" is another stunner, a mini-rock opera that eventually reaches an amped-up, emotive climax. Band comparisons can range from Sunny Day Real Estate to U2 (particularly Clark's angst-filled high notes), but while the influences are unquestionable, the group retains that special something worthy of greater success than the marginal acclaim that has been given to them thus far. Having recently signed a U.S. deal with Wind-Up Records (home to Evanescence and Seether), hope remains that the group will receive the critical kudos and sizable fan base that they deserve.

Denise Sheppard, Amazon.com

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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On their debut album, Into the West, Pilot Speed come across as an American U2 crossbred with Radiohead – which means they have an epic scale balanced by a moody melancholy, but instead of writing anthems or wallowing in abstract introspection, they operate on a smaller scale, writing direct songs that are designed to connect to the heart, not the head, something that Radiohead abandoned long ago. As such, what Pilot Speed lack in grandeur they make up for in forthrightness, playing directly where their influences dance around the point. This is quite American in sensibility – it's all about expression instead of intellectualization – but Pilot Speed never sound rootsy, not even as much as Wilco did as late as Summerteeth, but their lean simplicity is appealing, particularly in how their sweeping echoey guitars are brought down to earth in a manner that is somewhat reminiscent of Coldplay minus the sappy sanctimonious air. If Chris Martin is a choir boy, Pilot Speed are comprised entirely of boys next door, which is what makes Into the West a likable affair.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Pilot Speed (Pilate) - Albums Collection 2003-2009 (4CD)

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Pilot Speed's second album, Wooden Bones, isn't a progression from their 2006 debut Into the West so much as it is a continuation. The band is still heavily indebted to U2 and Radiohead, which means they often sound quite a bit like an American Coldplay, one that lacks the pomp and circumstance that puffed up Viva la Vida. There are no orchestras for Pilot Speed, just guitars and keyboards (along with some tape effects) kicking up plenty of atmosphere, which the band undercuts with their innate politeness and small sense of scale. It all shimmers beguilingly, never flirting with darkness or pop melodies, existing entirely as clean space rock that remains ever so earthbound.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com