Artist Website: Airplane Noise
Netlabel Website: Back to Work Records
3 - One Cup of Coffee
4 - I Will Always Win
Track list:
1 - Go Ahead
2 - Last Night3 - One Cup of Coffee
4 - I Will Always Win
When recording an album, most bands pick a single sound and, for better or worse, stick with it throughout the record. However, that is not the case with Airplane Noise's latest EP Getting Down. I can't remember an album in recent memory that caught me as off guard as to what comes next than this one. During a song, I'd think that I had finally pegged what the next song was going to sound like. Most of the time, I wasn't even close.
From the opening bass riff, I imagined this EP to be another typical romp through the realm of indie pop-punk. A few seconds later, the synthesizer kicks in, bringing to mind a slightly poppier, more polished version of a Bomb the Music Industry! song. The next song, Last Night, followed along the same general path as the first song, but the third track is where the music takes a complete right-turn.
One Cup of Coffee opens up with a piano line that instantly made me think of the song Mr. Jones by Ben Folds, and then continued on by introducing not only drums and guitars, but also a harmonica! While some people might have found this off-putting, I actually enjoyed the change of pace, as the pop-punk was quickly becoming a slight chore to listen to. I Will Always Win continued on with the acoustic feel of the previous track (albeit at a more upbeat tempo and featuring the acoustic guitar rather than piano). The backup vocals in particular really stood out for me on this track, and blended quite nicely with the soothing lead acoustic guitar melodies. The final track opened as a slow acoustic number, which is why I was surprised to hear the return of the distorted guitars about halfway through the song.
Airplane Noise is a great example of a band that's able to approach their music from several different styles, not only keeping it fresh but also keeping the listener actively engaged, waiting to hear what is in store for the next track. The pop-punk tracks were okay, but in my opinion the standout tracks were the acoustic songs, and in particular, One Cup of Coffee. If you'd like to stream the EP, you can visit the band's website at the top of this article. I'm also planning to start offering a sample of each album I cover right from this blog for those of you that just can't be bothered to take those few extra clicks. Click the link below to stream One Cup of Coffee.
