Review Summary: Pirouette's unique brand of indie rock makes Thinking In Subtitles a verrry solid EP.
Thinking In Subtitles EP
All Scotty Leitch is asking for is a break from these unloyalties, and I have a feeling that he might just get what he’s asking for because nearly everyone who has heard the Thinking In Subtitles EP has become instantly hooked on his brand of original indie rock sing-a-longs. This is probably due to the fact that Pirouette is such a breath of fresh air from all the other bands today that end up sounding like everyone else. Everything about this EP from the vocals, guitar work, and other instrumentation to the songwriting to the crudely burnt and spray painted CD-R that it came on has a certain undeniable charm and uniqueness to it. The solid songwriting is what really makes Subtitles stand out from the rest; there are no bad songs on this eight song set and each song can stand alone with a distinct identity.
“Charmeleon’s Ghost Skip” is a perfect opener for the EP with its urgent ride cymbal setting the tempo for the whole album. The breakdown in the second part of the song is one of the better moments on the album and shows off Pirouette’s Cap’n Jazz influenced guitar style. The second track “Yellow Car I Called It” begins with a great riff and has equally great lyrics; the line “Age is an age, so when are we ripe?” shines as much as any on the album. “Kiss and Tell” is probably the catchiest song on the EP and lyrics like “There’s no place I’d rather be than glued to you” epitomize Leitch’s quirky way of expressing his affections. The song flows effortlessly into a 5/4 segment before ending, showing off the band's rhythmic abilities. The fourth track on the album and Vitamin Water inspired, “Revive”, is sung by Scotty’s brother Anthony Leitch whose perfectly cracking voice captures the emotional lyrics of the song. The hi-hat work on the drums in the song really stand out, but the guitar tapping is nothing short of impressive and makes this song the best on the EP.
The second half of Subtitles kicks off with the upbeat “CJ Rough Wreath”. Now I don’t know who CJ is, but I do know that he knows what’s up, because this song will have you yelling that extremely catchy line right with Scotty every time. The song uses a chaotic break down akin to Brand New’s “Mixtape” to move into the second half of the song which is chock full of big drum fills, proving that Leitch's talents are hardly limited to guitars and vocals. “Noah’s Shark” has a jazzy American Football-like drum style and crystal clear guitar tone to it. The layered vocals at the end of the song show off Leitch's great voice and really complete the song. The next track, “Clinton Wasn’t On A Bill, But He Was One”, is a real sing-a-long that is reminiscent of Pirouette’s first EP’s as it features Scotty with only an acoustic guitar; the honestly romantic lyric "You are the world to me and Earth is just a place where we sit" is simply fantastic. “Ami Jean” is a beautiful instrumental track that aptly closed the album with some of the best guitar lines on the whole EP.
The album is excellent, but not perfect, there are not enough bass lines, the production is a little rough and the songs could be a bit more cohesive with each other, but these are extremely minor details and should be expected to accompany any band’s early EP’s. My main criticism would be that there are only eight songs on the album, which actually is more a compliment than a criticism. The bottom line is that Thinking In Subtitles is a very solid EP.
The only thing that matches the intensity of the album is the band’s live show. I had the pleasure of seeing the band play at a small local show and was immediately caught up in the infectious sing-a-long/dance-a-long that ensued. Leitch replicated all the complex guitar riffs perfectly and managed to nail all the vocals at the same time - a true sign of his musical talent. The best thing about Pirouette is the fact that their music keeps getting better and shows no sign of slowing. So I sincerely urge you to go check out Pirouette online (www.myspace.com/pirouettemusic), order their Thinking In Subtitles EP, get out to one of their local shows, and be sure to tell all your friends about this outstanding band.
1) “Charmeleon’s Ghost Skip” - 8/10
2) “Yellow Car I Called It” - 9/10
3) “Kiss And Tell” - 9/10
4) “Revive” - 10/10
5) “CJ Rough Wreath” - 8/10
6) “Noah’s Shark” - 8/10
7) “Clinton Wasn’t On A Bill, But He Was One” - 8/10
8) “Ami Jean” - 7/10
Overall: 4/5 Excellent
Pro’s:
+ originality
+ great instrumentation (especially guitars)
+ vocals
Con’s: (Both of which are cons only because they leave me wanting more)
- Short song lengths
- Sometimes lyrics are sometimes undecipherable
Standout Tracks:
"Revive"
"Kiss And Tell"
"Yellow Car I Called It"
-Tyler Richardson
(December 4th 2007)
