Downpilot

This Is the Sound starts with no fuss, frills or preamble. The first line of the opening track, "Your Supply", drops in right in on the first downbeat and ends with a sentiment about as resigned and unapologetic as can be: "This is the sound of everywhere." It dissolves on a wave of swirling feedback and gorgeous kerrangs, and what comes into focus is a kind of manifesto against the smugness that has led to our current state of affairs. This sets the tone for a bold piece of work by a seasoned and accomplished artist. While Paul Hiragas latest (and sixth) Downpilot album at times may nod to the understated psychedelia of 2015s Radio Ghost or the intimate melancholia of 2011s New Great Lakes, this latest collection is edgier and much more immediate. The second track slams straight into Historian, a wry commentary on western civilization that harks back to the 19th century through a 70s rocker lens.