01. The Commuter 4:44
02. Radio On 5:22
03. Tools 3:57
04. Rust Belt Heart 3:39
05. Stay 3:27
06. Pilgrim 4:37
07. Hands Up 4:19
08. The Astronaut 4:29
09. Tonight 3:57
10. Used Guitars 4:11
11. Catch A Ride 5:02
This new full-length from Red Collar, Pilgrim is really hard to pin down. It was
described to me as Fugazi meets the Hold Steady, a strange pairing if there ever
was one. Listening to it though, it's obvious why those comparisons were made
The super-angular guitar parts in a lot of the songs are straight out of the
Fugazi playbook, and some of the more grandiose moments here certainly wouldn't
sound odd with Craig Finn crooning over them. Pilgrim is quite honestly one of
the most original records that have crossed these ears in quite a while
The Fugazi influence really shines on both "Hands Up" and "Rust Belt Heart," the
guitar work having the same sort of focused noodling one would find in many of
that band's songs. "Stay" and "Catch A Ride" possess the same quality to a
lesser extent, but the slightly more subdued manner in which Red Collar execute
these parts actually enhance the songs, instead of leaving them feeling cold and
somewhat devoid of emotion
Meanwhile, the freewheeling nature of a lot of these tracks lend themselves to
the notion that the Hold Steady were any sort of analog for Red Collar. The
incredibly catchy "Used Guitars," with those infectious group vocals in the
chorus, as well as the captivating performance by vocalist Jason Kutchma, are
both highlights, as are the title track and the heavily acoustic, totally
awesome "Tonight"; the electronic tinges and reverbed vocals mesh surprisingly
well inside the song's minimal shell
Things become slightly more brooding on "Tools," as the instrumentation and
vocals definitely feel far darker than anything else here. The driving, jagged
guitars coupled with light keyboards give the song a real Murder by Death feel
and that's certainly far from a bad thing. The only other slight example of this
dynamic from Red Collar is in "The Astronaut," though it's largely in the
vocals; the guitars crunch along and the drums pound with calculated ferocity
leaving before it wears out its welcome
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Pilgrim's opener, "The Commuter."
Appropriately enough, the song's intro is minimal and atmospheric, with sounds
of vehicles whizzing by liberally thrown in. The song has a compelling buildup
and a satisfying payoff replete with loud guitars and strong vocals from
Kutchma. Those group shouts of "we been workin' overtime" are definitely
appreciated, too. When listening to a record from a new band, it's pretty much
essential that the opening track has to be good, and "The Commuter" delivers big
time
As hard as it has become to forge an original sound in any scene these days, Red
Collar have done a nice job in carving out a new niche with Pilgrim. It's fresh
exciting and compelling, and I look forward to hearing more from this band.
Try
