Ex Pilots Deliver With Indie Rock Odyssey, “Motel Cable”

Written By: Allen Hale | Photos By: Shannon McMahon

“Motel Cable” by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania six-piece indie rock group Ex Pilots is eclectic. Released on Aug. 23, 2024, the album clocks in at just under 38 minutes, featuring 15 songs which cycle through a variety of inspirations passed through lo-fi recording methods. 

As discussed in their Spotify profile, Ex Pilots have drawn inspiration from 1990s bands like Guided by Voices, an influential indie rock band led by Robert Pollard from Dayton, Ohio. The latter acts turned to inspirations from decades prior — namely the British Invasion, power pop and early punk — as source material for their original, melodic brand of indie rock, home-recorded on four-track machines. Ex Pilots have, in some sense, picked up on a similar project by instead returning to the 1990s as a locus for varied artistic stimulus. The product is a diverse record founded upon slacker rock archetypes and distorted poppiness, at once recognizable in its appeal and exciting in its distinctness. 

Even as their heroes are clearly exalted, Ex Pilots retain their own forward-thinking vision for what it means to create rock music decades after its popular, critical and commercial dominance, plunged back into the underground. The tracklist’s mélange avoids repeating the past by continuously exploring new sonic structures and timbres. It’s not surprising that their ethos has attracted attention from similarly-minded artists; Ex Pilots even recently played a show with Guided by Voices in the latter group’s hometown.

The opening track, “Downdraft,” sets the stage by alternating between heavier, noisy guitar riffs and lighter, airy sections showcasing the group’s unique take on shoegaze. The vocals sound distanced and filtered, a keenly melodic aspect which runs throughout this album. The next song “Hannah” follows up as being similarly ethereal without merely rehashing the lushness of 1960s psychedelia, containing an air of hopefulness beneath its forlorn sound.

Contrast within individual songs is dialed up in tracks such as “Motel,” which utilizes layers of distortion that discernable chords and muffled vocals must wade through; a cleaner lead guitar melody cuts above the top to provide some direction. Rehashing principles from “Downdraft,” the transitions between juxtaposed sections occur at a quicker, nearly jarring pace. Balance is established by the acoustic ballad “Not Yet,” shimmering with effects that linger in a soupy atmosphere. “Starry” and “108” later capitalize on a similar appeal, the second piece lasting 50 seconds while deploying structure based on one guitar pattern and mumbled, intimate singing. 

On the other hand, “Glory Thread” begins similarly in lacking percussion, although it reaches a distinct peak which accumulates washed-out volume before releasing into a fade. Slower, easy-going numbers like “Dog in the Yard” add additional range and compliment the up-tempo energetics of the 70-second track “Don’t Keep Me Up There,” showcasing Ex Pilot’s willingness to deploy multiple lead vocalists across the LP. 

“Silver Sword” combines the aforementioned appreciation for Robert Pollard’s work while incorporating anthemic, impassioned vocals, building towards the spacey soloing that follows on “At the Side.” As with earlier pieces, the songs end by abruptly shifting speed and redesigning itself around an entirely new riff  Even as the denser chords of songs like “Thirty Days” give weight to the guitars and low end, “Motel Cable” is never solely dominated by the six-string instrument’s presence. The drumming on “At The Side” and “Spirits Up” undergird the addictive momentum behind each of these works, a force that undoubtedly propels the band’s live performances.

As a full album, “Motel Cable” is never easy to pin down, but tracing its pertinent contours makes for a uniquely engaging listening experience. Even after trying to sketch its most salient moments, I find myself without a way of summarizing the overall tone or sound. This restless creativity is readily apparent in each individual song, culminating in a multiplicity of musical statements. Only Ex Pilots could know what comes next for their career.