'Drifting' into a difficult listen

Watersphere is the debut major label release from Pilotdrift, an eclectic band hailing from Texarkana, a city on the East Texas border with Arkansas. Pilotdrift is the musical creation of five friends: Kelly Carr (lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar), Jay Budzilowski (bass), Ben Rice (drums), Eric Russell (electronics, guitar) and John David Blagg (electric guitar).\nPilotdrift's sound is an interesting array of styles ranging from electronica to rock to jazz fusion to orchestra inspired instrumentals. Not only do the vocals of Kelly Carr sound strikingly similar to Thom Yorke of Radiohead, but Pilotdrift is even more like Radiohead in the fact that they can't truly or accurately be put in one musical category. Watersphere as a whole sounds indeed as if it were the soundtrack to an eerie movie. The album is packed with screeching organs, chiming clocks, whirling synthesizers and even the lofty singing of a choir. Also the use of light, airy vocals on top of an assortment of layered sounds, which comprises the formula to much of Pilotdrift's music, is present throughout the whole album.\nThe album starts off with a delicate, moving piano and vocal melody which slowly builds as bass, synthesizers, drums and guitars join in the mix. By the time the entire band joins in, the song has turned into a musical whirlwind which engulfs the listener. This track, "Caught in My Trap," suggests the rather unorthodox song structure which runs through much of the album. Pilotdrift's writing style makes it easy for the listener to get lost in their songs, as there seems to be little guiding structure to many of them.\nThe album peaks with the climactic "Jekyll and Hyde Suite," which sounds at home on a rock opera. The song begins with blaring organs and incorporates a variety of sound effects such as breaking glass and creaking wood. In "Jekyll and Hyde Suite" Pilotdrift tells the classic story of Dr. Jekyll's transformation into Mr. Hyde in a whole new light.\nTrack eight, the gentle instrumental "Comets," is one of the high points on the album, mostly due to its simplicity. The delicate "So Long" rounds off the album.\nAlthough Pilotdrift should be commended for their attempt to experiment and find their own musical niche, the quality of song structure suffers as a result and there fails to be much cohesiveness throughout the album. Just when Pilotdrift seems to be doing something right on the album, the band does a complete 180. Watersphere is simply confusing and leaves the listener lost in a jumbled mess of sound.