Sky Pilots

They Say...

Review by Mark Deming, All Music Guide

With the international commercial breakout of the Hives, the rock cognoscenti seem prepared to declare the whole of Scandinavia as the new Seattle, which will probably prove to be as much of a curse as a blessing, but it will certainly give the Flaming Sideburns a greater hearing outside their native Finland. But those expecting another dose of high-test retro-garage wailing will be a bit surprised with the band's third album, Sky Pilots; while their previous work found the Sideburns fusing the three-chord raunch of the Sonics with the turned-up-to-ten rampage of MC5 and the Stooges, Sky Pilots eases up on the gas just a bit, and adds a few touches of psychedelia, '70s rock, and overall aural refinement to the formula. The trippy vocal and guitar overdubs on "Invisible Hands," the continental hip-shake of "Effect-O Tequila," and the subdued, piano-based, late-night dedication of "Drive On" all sound decidedly different than anything the Flaming Sideburns have put on plastic in the past, and the album's overall approach is more thoughtful and less-manic than their previous sessions. But don't think that means these guys have forgotten how to rock out; "Submarine Sensation" still sounds like a lost cut from Raw Power, "Off Direction" kicks hard with plenty of guitar firepower, and while "Save Rock 'n' Roll" won't quite save rock & roll, it offers proof that it's still alive and in fine health. And the reverently rapt cover of Roky Erickson's "The Interpreter" leaves no doubt these guys are still in touch with their primal influences. The Flaming Sideburns want to add some new flavors to their formula while still offering up solid and sweaty rock & roll, and on Sky Pilots they manage to have it both ways.