I saw The Copperpot Journals recently, on tour with Garrison, and I can honestly say I didn’t enjoy them, I thought they were a bit dull, so I was obviously keen to give this record a good listen in an attempt to convert me.
I don’t know what it is about the first song “Atlas & I“, but it reminds me a lot of Placebo’s “36 Degrees” in the vocals, albeit a more masculine version. Title-track “Pilots” has a big riff, the type of sound ‘Hundred Reasons‘ pride themselves on, and in all honesty this isn’t too far detached from the MTV2 Post-Hardcore sound that the previous band has. There is no doubt Copperpot Journals, like a lot of other bands of this style owe a lot to Quicksand – this song and the next track, “Start The Age” are testament to that.
The good thing about The Copperpot Journals is they know how to take it down a notch. They aren’t afraid to let the heavy guitars give way to more meloncholic guitar-lines which complement the soothing vocals perfectly. “Glass & Chrome” does this to perfection, including a slightly
experimental ending which has certainly been one of the highlights on the record.
“Look Alive” opens with another one of those big riffs, before calming into a pretty guitar line, something which so many bands of this style do, but credit to The Copperpot Journals, they do it well, even if it does start to feel a little repetitive for me at times. This is especially noticeable in constrast to the more experimental indie-rock numbers like “Harbour” which sound so fresh compared to the done-to-death ‘heavy riff to calm’ combo. If an album has a ‘hit’, so to speak, I’d have to say “Coronary” would be the one for me on this album. It’s sincere and emotional, yet catchy enough to keep the attention of a kid with an attention-deficit disorder.
You can’t deny the fact that this album has a mainstream appeal, and will no doubt see The Copperpot Journals go on to be the UK’s next MTV2-touted ‘underground hope’. The album is diverse enough to gain attention. It’s not something I’d really listen too, but I can imagine
a lot of people would love it. Good luck to them.
Phil