Conscious Pilot – Human Poultry
While Conscious Pilot choose eclecticism over coherence at times on their debut, at the heart of the record is absurdist humour delivered through a danceable groove
The first half of Conscious Pilot’s debut record hurtles past in a swirl of thick, tireless basslines, angular riffs and staccato vocals. This sets up singer Joe Laycock to introduce us to characters who are often bored, bemused or full of pent up aggression. They bemoan parachutes made of iron, a greasy God sat soaking in soup and, on the title track, compare themselves to a tree that exists just to provide something for people to piss on.
In the three years of the band’s existence they have released two EPs and rollicked around the UK’s live circuit with a string of sweaty, riotous live shows. If the first half of Human Poultry is an amped up call to prolong the party, the second half is where Conscious Pilot shows off their versatility. The melodic gravel of Laycock’s voice comes to the fore on the surf-rock bounce of Back On the Farm while the sweetly understated New Sensation slots into the Belle & Sebastian and Sacred Paws lineage of Glasgow indie. At times Conscious Pilot may choose eclecticism over coherence, but the appealingly wacky Ode to Ronnie encapsulates the spirit of the record: absurdist humour delivered through a danceable groove.
Listen to: Back On the Farm, Internet Support, New Sensation