The first time I ever saw a Bad Religion shirt in person was on the singer of Banner Pilot. Suburban Minneapolis wasn't exactly a hot spot for punk enthusiasts in the early 90's, and in a school of well over 1000 people maybe 5 had heard of Minor Threat or The Descendents. With that said, seeing a Bad Religion shirt within 3 feet from you was like seeing a ray of light from heaven in a sea of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden nonsense.
Fast forward 15 years. One day I get a message from the Bad Religion shirt owner (Nick) on myspace. I haven't seen him since high school, maybe exchanged 5 messages online in the last few years. He tells me his band has a new disc on Fat if I want a copy. I do some research. I'm impressed- turns out his band has been making some small waves in the world of punk rock, and are on their way to making some much larger ones with a release on the esteemed Fat Wreck Chords label.
Self described as 'if Jawbreaker, The Lawrence Arms and Alkaline Trio got into a knife fight and Jawbreaker won.. but just barely', 'Collapser' is a quick blast of pure punk rock energy, complete with bouncy basslines, gritty vocals and punchy melodies. The music remains upbeat at breakneck speed from beginning to end, the wordplay consistently bleak, no doubt somewhat autobiographical stories from growing up, pursuing dreams, and references to Minneapolis hot spots.
To say this is merely pop punk is doing Banner Pilot a disservice. With their buzzsaw guitars and charged, unrelenting song arrangements, this is certainly not another run-of-the-mill pop punk record about girls. The sincerity and urgency on 'Collapser' borders on cathartic- something often absent in this genre of music, and it clearly separates Banner Pilot from the legions of other bands playing this sound.
I put this in on an all night drive from Minneapolis to Chicago recently, and in 6 hours I got through it more than 10 times. During that time I came to the realization that 'Skeleton Key' is one of the top ten best punk rock tunes ever penned (click the youtube link below to listen to it).
Setting all bias and Bad Religion shirt sightings aside, this is absolutely incredible, sure to please any fan of thoughtful, impassioned, melodic punk rock. Available now everywhere and on tour through October.
For fans of: Dear Landlord, Dillinger Four, Latterman, Off With Their Heads, Smoke or Fire
