Song Review - Wasted Pilots

WASTED PILOTS

by Airling

EP: Love Gracefully (19 September, 2014)

When you're talking about acts that are having a breakout 2014, you've got to include Hannah Shepherd's electronic-pop moniker, Airling. She's earned big gold stars from all over for the tracks 'Ouroboros' and 'The Runner', supported Asgeir while he was in Australia (as well as girl of my dreams Ella Hooper in Brisbane) and took out the triple J Unearthed Splendour In The Grass competition. She's been hard at work putting together her debut EP with the uber-talented Tom Scary and Graham Ritchie and it's been announced that we'll be hearing Love Gracefully in September. Which is conveniently just after Airling performs as part of BIGSOUND Live in Brisbane and just before a tour through Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this October. That is like the definition of a breakout year, right? To top it all off, Airling have released the new single, 'Wasted Pilots', Shepherd's most exquisite creation yet. 

"A broken in mess, you don't need no one to tell you how it is." 'Wasted Pilots' has a certain melancholy that permeates through the lyrics, which you wouldn't know if you're not paying close attention to them. The lyrics are the dark to the music's light. That powerful chorus will have you wanting to get those fists pumping in the air and Shepherd's vocals are breezy and full of warmth. With all the repeated listens that are sure to follow, allowing you to pick up on the story, Shepherd's vocals become more wistful. Maybe that's not the right word for the confession in the line that tells us she is, "feeling that I am dead inside." It's a wonderful juxtaposition that we don't see enough in pop music anymore. Music and lyrics are in direct competition with each other, but Shepherd pulls it off very nicely. I'm using a lot of big words like 'permeates' and 'juxtaposition'. The conclusion I have arrived at is that listening to Airling makes you smarter. So there's also that. 

Airling have gone from strength to strength this year and with that in mind, it makes sense that 'Wasted Pilots' is the strongest track we've heard yet. I've got a sneaky suspicion there's going to be something else waiting on the upcoming EP to blow us away too. 

Matt Bond gives 'Wasted Pilots' four Preset heads out of five...

And don't forget, you can see Airling playing as part of BIGSOUND Live in September and on tour in October. Dates below... in poster form!