We Are the Tide

by Blind Pilot

Overview

3 Rounds and a Sound, Blind Pilot's self-released debut, sketched a bareboned folk-pop sound with short, simple strokes. We Are the Tide paints a different picture, thanks to four newcomers --- including a vibraphonist, an upright bassist, and a dulcimer player --- who add bigger, brighter colors to the mix. It's rare they everyone plays at once; instead, the band holds its cards like a poker champ, waiting until the perfect moment to throw down a loaded hand. Whenever that happens, Blind Pilot sounds like a contemporary Fleetwood Mac, with thickly stacked harmonies coating every refrain, or even a co-ed Crosby, Stills & Nash, whose easygoing specter looms large during the outro to "White Apple." We Are the Tide blazes its own path, though, bringing other bands to mind --- including contemporary names like Fleet Foxes and the Head and the Heart, both of whom build their songs around similar layers of acoustic instruments and choir-kid harmonies --- without making you wish you were listening to those groups instead. And, in keeping with the laid-back attitude of Blind Pilot's Pacific Northwest home, the album stretches its legs at a leisurely pace, leading off with a midtempo ballad --- the simple, striking "Half Moon," which dissolves into a few moments of gorgeous a cappella toward the song's end -- and waiting until the third track to speed things up with the galloping "Keep You Right." We Are the Tide is saddled with the difficult task of showcasing a new band, one whose roster has increased 300-percent since the last album, without alienating fans who first warmed up to Blind Pilot as a homespun duo. It meets that challenge head-on, offering up a near-faultless track list that sets a new benchmark in the Oregon/Washington folk-pop revival. Come for the straightforward melodies that stick in your head for hours; stay for the smart arrangements that alternate between stripped-down acoustic backdrops and panoramic, orchestral accompaniments. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	09/27/2011
Label:	Burnside Distribution / Expunged Records
UPC:	0751937413011
Rank:	27813

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blind Pilot   Primary Artist
Nathan Crockett   Violin
Israel Nebeker   Guitar,Vocals,Ukulele,Harmonium
Ryan Dobrowski   Drums,Percussion
Ian Krist   Vibraphone
Dave Jorgensen   Piano,Trumpet,Harmonium,Pump Organ,Fender Rhodes
Joel Meredith   Pedal Steel
Kati Claborn   Banjo,Guitar,Vocals,Ukulele,Dulcimer
Luke Ydstie   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Pump Organ

Technical Credits

Tucker Martine   Mixing
Mark Searcy   Design
Adam Selzer   Engineer
Roger Seibel   Mastering
Blind Pilot   Producer
Israel Nebeker   Composer,Lyricist
Ryan Dobrowski   Artwork,Composer
Skyler Norwood   Engineer,Producer
Ben Moon   Photography