Autopilot - ​Desert Dreams

Autopilot

​Desert Dreams
self-released; 2015

3.9 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Marlon Harder (vocals/guitar), Jose A. Fuenzalida (drums), Colton Fehr (bass) and S.J. Kardash (guitar) are the four members of Autopilot. The band isn’t exactly newcomers to the scene but hide in relative obscurity to like-minded bands like Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade and Modest Mouse. There is no equation as to why a band's popularity can take off but in my humble opinion Autopilot is a name that should be ubiquitous among the underground/indie scene. The production, recording quality and song writing is certainly at least competitive with the aforementioned bands.

For instance the opener “Desert Dreams” has inarguable similarities to the song “Cause = Time” by Broken Social Scene. All I’m saying is that if you found “Cause = Time” to be a good song you won’t have to stretch too far to enjoy this song. 
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Desert Dreams is a consistent EP with just enough variation. The song “Oceanside” emits an upbeat almost dance worthy vibe while “Battles” is covered in melancholy, nostalgia and a bit of hope. There is a bit of a Wilco vibe on “Battles.” “Crossing Borderlines” benefits from reverb- laced distortion and a classic Americana feel. 

I think it’s fair to say that the highlight or highlights will be different depending upon whom you ask. Some EP’s and albums have clear-cut winners but with this EP the difference is marginal. That being said “Tuesday Afternoon Processions” is a song that stuck out to me. It’s an emotionally resonant song with an exceptional vocal performance and I thought the heavy use of reverb worked well on the song. 

​The band doesn’t have many kinks in their armor. Desert Dreams is an EP you can let play from the first song to the last and most likely won’t be thinking about skipping tracks. Overall, I think their music has a wide, ubiquitous appeal that won’t take a lot of effort to enjoy. Hence, I encourage you check to out their music

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