Perhaps slightly ironically given their name, PIONEERS don't sound like a band who are treading a unique musical path. Instead they sound like a band who have absorbed the best of their contemporaries and their respective influences and thieved all the best bits for themselves.
Opener "So Long" could Snow Patrol, "All I ever wanted" has Keane's piano parts all over it, "Watching Stars" and "Slow Down" bear more than a passing resemblance to Doves and Athlete respectively and "Open Skies" sounds so U2 influenced, you swear you can close your eyes and hear Bono himself. The question is that does it really matter? After all these are not bad bands to be emulating, well maybe with the exception of Keane, but you understand my point.
This is not to say Pioneers are rip-off merchants though- there is more than enough personality in the songs to get past any comparisons to other bands- and each track holds it's own. In days where it has become increasingly cool to be 'difficult' or 'edgy' PIONEERS unashamedly write populist songs. Like all the best purveyors of the pop anthem- it's all about an epic chorus and they hold their own with the greats. Whether its the emotional cries of "All I Ever Wanted" or the sing-along harmonies of "Slow Down" they undoubtedly know how to write an infectious tune.
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The music is consistent without ever remaining boring. Delayed guitars range from the energetic to the atmospheric sweeping- the rhythm section power it all along or drive oh-so-delicately, there are modern-synth burbles or classic piano lines. Mini-albums can be a bit of an unknown quantity, but in this instance it is pitched perfectly- showing the consistency in sound and giving a fuller picture than an EP, but without simply padding to get a full album.
Cards on the table though- you could easily dislike this band. Like Starsailor (who they have recently supported) and Keane they could easily be lumped into the 'bed-wetters' indie category- the ones that everyone loves to hate. In some ways you almost hope they don't get popular- because they are a genuinely good band who obviously know how to write a song.
Best of all though, they know how to take a melody and make it BIG.
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