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October 13, 2024


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Pilfers
Pilfers (Self Released)

By: Alex Steininger

Hailing from the almighty New York ska scene, The Pilfers include Coolie Ranx (Ex-Toasters) and Vinny Nobile (Ex-Bim Skala Bim.) When two well respected members of the New York ska scene team up, you know something explosive is going to occur. And that is exactly what the Pilfers are. They're an explosive blend of ska, reggae, punk, and hardcore.

The CD kicks off with an intro, and from there the party begins. "Dr. Kervorkian" blends reggae vocals with a tremendously hot and infectious ska base. The guitar is like a pit of coals, and if you stand still your feet get burnt. Without hesitation you'll quickly jump up and move to this number. But the most amazing part about this song is the horns. When the song bursts into a nice horn solo, you can't help but be taken in amazement. The horns gently creep their way throughout your body, and send a streak of warmth through the body. Then it jumps right back into the energetic drive that controls the song. Bouncy and infectious, you'll thrust into a dancing frenzy once again. "Hypnotized" slows down the pace a bit, but the energy and intensity still remains. Instead of Coolie Ranx's reggae style vocals, Vinny takes over on lead vocals and lends a moan-groan style to the music. Throw in a hardcore lined chorus for a kick, and you've got a beautifully composed song that will get you slowly moving and feeling the grooves during the verses, and jumping around singing along with the chorus. The horns are still a powerful force in the music, because when they're present, you hear them in all their glory. And just to keep things from becoming predictable, they twist the song around and end with a punk flavor. As hard as it is to pick a favorite song on this album, I'd have to say it's "Generation." The backing "oh's" adds nice harmony to the music, while the guitar gets your feet up and moving. The bass thumps through the song, keeping the punch present. And the drums keep the energy pumping by forming a strong backbone for the song. And that's just the verse. The chorus jumps into a very infectious punk sing-along. "Say next, next generation. Pray next, next generation. I pray the next will view the angles from all sides," screams in the chorus. Words that are not only true and have deep meaning, but words that you'll find yourself singing along with. "Waitin' 4 U" is another bouncy, heavily danceable number led by Vinny Nobile on vocals. The verses, driven by the horns and the fast guitar, get your feet moving and your body shaking. But then the chorus comes along, and like always, they stir things up a bit and throw a punk chorus your way that will catch you off guard and floor you. You'll then begin to sing along with it while you're jumping around having the time of your life. And that brings us to "One Day," the song that closes out the CD. Realizing you need a break from the fast paced, intense styles that appear before this song, they serve up a heavily traditional number that will get you slowly dancing, and give you time to relax. And they do it nicely too. These guys are very versatile, jumping from hard and fast to soft and slow, nothing can stop these guys.

The Pilfers are nothing short of spectacular. These guys are amazing, and this CD displays their abilities very nicely. With an album like this, give these guys a few months and I'm sure every label imaginable will be hot on their tails trying to sign them. With good reason too...these guys are going to be big! Visit their web page (http://www.pilfers.com) and order this CD from them, or pick it up at a live show when they come through your town, because as of now, those are the only two ways you can get this CD. I highly recommend this CD, a definite A+.

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