Review of 8/20 show with The Waxwings

"Best of 2003" lists including The History of Flying:
Left of the Dial (# 3)
Madcap Music (# 56)
Not Lame (# 21)

Lost At Sea
Come fly the friendly skies of Paper Airplane Pilots. Never mind the baggage checkers. Security is just going to wave you through, no wands, no removing keys or loose change from your pocket. Feel free to smoke if you want. And don’t worry about shutting off your laptop or putting your luggage in the overhead compartment. Just put on your headphones and get ready for takeoff. Captain Jeremiah Wallis says to expect very little turbulence. Just blue skies and brilliant, radiant power-pop, the kind Teenage Fanclub used to make before going into exile.
Two years in the making, The History Of Flying is a gas to listen to. That is, if you like power pop. All the requisite influences are here, from the addictive hooks of Big Star to the golden harmonies and orchestral instrumentation of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys. "She’s Magnetic", "Olivia" and "She’s A Liquid" take the buzz-saw guitars and sugary, melodic drag of Bandwagonesque-era Teenage Fanclub and mix in a little Cheap Trick bombast. The bright, buoyant melodies of "The Guilt Must Way A Ton" and "Change Changeling" are the stuff the British Invasion was made of. On the ballad "Eva Braun", it sounds like Brian Wilson is pulling all the strings, adding soft touches of cello and violin to sweet vocal harmonies and light acoustic guitar. More raucous numbers "Lifer" and "She Reduces Me" shoot off firecracker packs of drum fills and crunchy guitar riffs.
Paper Airplane Pilots have stumbled on a diamond mine of glittering melodies. They’ve spent years polishing their pop gems to a robust shine. Wallis and co-pilot Ryan Duffy first joined forces 10 years ago. In 2001, they released the seven-track EP, Welcome To The Drunk Tank. A little over two years later we have The History Of Flying. Don’t know if they actually have their pilot’s licenses, but I’d clear them for takeoff.

Aversion
What do you get when you mix melodic power pop with intensely sincere songwriting? Paper Airplane Pilots. Forty years after the Beatles arrived in the United States for their legendary Ed Sullivan appearance, musicians in the states draw inspiration from the Fab Four. Their mark is certainly left on the Paper Airplane Pilots’ latest, The History of Flying, particularly on the fine songwriting of Jeremiah Wallis. This full-length follow-up to the popular Chicago band’s 2001 self-produced EP Welcome to the Drunk Tank is a solid piece heavy on candy pop melodies and lighthearted lyrics.
The Pilots –Wallis, Joe Chellino, Ryan Duffy and Eric Stegemann – are, other than the Beatles, often compared to bands such as Wilco or Pavement. On this release, they draw many of their pop sounds from Weezer, especially on the “She’s a Liquid,” “Exist You,” “Lifer” and “She Seduces Me.” While there are sonic similarities, the Pilots don’t suffer from the jaded outlook of veteran pop stars such as Weezer.
One breakout track on this album is the fun-loving “Anna (I’m Coming Home)” a classic beer-drinking song, complete with clinking glasses and the din of pub conversation in the background. Other quality tracks are the “Change, Changeling!” which features Martha Larson’s cello and Jeff Yang’s violin, and “The Guilt Must Weigh a Ton.” Lyrically, the Pilots are hung up on the fairer sex: They touch on such widespread topics such as quirky women, older women (as on the track “Olivia,” they sing “I will be your Benjamin/ You could be my Mrs. Robinson”), seductive women and women who love fascist dictators (“Eva Braun”).
The Pilots have a handle on the hooks, much like their pop predecessors. Power-pop addicts are sure to find a lot to like in The History of Flying; it’s pure fun and sure to warrant more than a few listens.

Left Off the Dial
If I really wanted to, I could get my point across about this album in just a couple of sentences: It arrived at LOTD for review just four days before I made my year-end Best of 2003 list, yet it somehow managed to land itself in spot #3. The CD hasn’t been back in its case since the day it showed up.
Rarely do I see press kits that accurately describe what the album sounds like, but with Chicago’s Paper Airplane Pilots, the press kit is right on the money: “What is it so many power pop fans are constantly searching for? Why, it’s the band with the right combination of harmonies, the right batch of chords, a keener sense of melody than the rest, and the quirky sensibility to give it a unique voice.” To a tee, that is what The History of Flying, achieves. Drawing from influences like the Beatles, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, and Guided By Voices, this band shows unusually mature songwriting skills on this debut album and displays its knack for creating the perfect pop song.
Power-pop can often be a formulaic genre, but the Pilots are not afraid to steer their songs in several different directions. “Exist You” and “She Reduces Me” are the up-tempo songs one might expect from power-pop masters. But “Rasberry Pie,” and “Anna (I’m Coming Home)” are slower, sing-along songs with acoustic guitar; the “power” in these pop songs comes from the earnest, harmonizing vocals, rather than the typical, driving electric guitars – and it works. Finally, there are the softer songs, such as “Chicago Skyline,” that have lyrics so full of imagery, you can just picture the scene that singer Jeremiah Wallis is painting.
All said, the Paper Airplane Pilots make the kind of power-pop that has become increasingly difficult to find over the past decade – the kind not seen too much since Matthew Sweet’s landmark album Girlfriend. If there’s one common power-pop pitfall, it’s the difficulty in being original, and the Paper Airplane Pilots succeed for the most part in avoiding that problem (with the exception of “Olivia,” which is a fantastic song, but its rhythm and chord progression remind me a little too much of The Smithereens’ “Yesterday Girl”). My only real complaint is that the 16-track album is slightly front-loaded, with its strongest songs all within the first seven tracks. But these are things that bands get better at with each release. With their golden influences and Wallis’ keen songcraft, I can’t really see this band going wrong. (Catherine Nicholas)

Allmusic.com (4 stars)
Within The History of Flying's first six minutes, you learn that "She's Magnetic," "She's a Liquid," and that "She flows to the satellite like raspberry pie." The identity of "she" isn't really important — it can be assumed she's the ideal of the power pop cosmos, the Absolute Woman — but if you need a name, Paper Airplane Pilots main brain Jeremiah Wallis is happy to provide. There's the giddy, leather pants turn-on of "Olivia" ("You can be my Mrs. Robinson!"), and "Sweet Annie"'s scatterbrained Kinks allure. Maybe that's you joining Jeremiahon the chorus to the lusty, rousing singalong "Anna (I'm Coming Home)." No? Then perhaps the quiet cello and acoustic guitar of "Eva Braun" are more your speed. Wallis and Paper Airplane Pilots dip into all of these moods with equal dedication and an admirable lack of pretension. This is important, because in power pop everyone knows the score. The Pilots are as gaga over the glorious convergence of girls, guitars, and string sections as anyone from Teenage Fanclub to the Elephant 6 collective. But, like the wiser of their fellow travelers, Wallis and his jovial crew confidently sell their own set of teenage symphonies while nodding along happily with what's come before. They often steal directly, but since it's a daylight grab with Brian Wilson as a wheelman, the theft is largely forgiven. There are nice touches all over History of Flying, like the brief, harmony-drenched "Are You in Tune?" fading into "Olivia"'s crunchy rock abandon, or the flurry of vintage tones and production touches that point to the genre's preoccupation with authenticity. At the same time, something like the spazzy, ragged "Lifer" lets Paper Airplane Pilots momentarily stop worrying about all that stuff, get hyper, and do that bedrock twitch. (Johnny Loftus)

babysue.com/lmnop.com (Rating: 4+++)
Nice happy 1960s-influenced melodic pop. Led by singer/guitarist Jeremiah Wallis, Paper Airplane Pilots offer a glimpse into the past through the obvious eyes of the present. The History of Flying is a purposely positive and uplifting album...full of surprisingly genuine and sincere compositions. Instead of covering everything in layers of unnecessary sound...Wallis instead prefers to let his compositions speak for themselves. The simple arrangements work perfectly for this style of music, allowing the listener to concentrate on song composition and lyrics. The words, in fact, may be this band's strongest point...and that is truly saying something (considering how many bands have truly lousy lyrics). If you're looking for angry loud hate music, then this band is obviously not for you. If, however, you are looking for purely positive pop...The History of Flying is almost certain to please. Lots of well-written cuts here including "She's Magnetic," "Eva Braun," "I'm Not A Jet," and "Chicago Skyline." Some of these tunes remind us of underground cult icon Jeremy Morris. Good stuff.

Illinois Entertainer, Nov. 2003
The history of pop rock includes influential Chicago bands that burned out quickly(Material Issue) and bands that seemingly remain fueled for the long haul (Cheap Trick). Paper Airplane Pilots borrow heavily from both camps in charting their own course on the 16-track The History of Flying. While most of the songs are structured pop compostions, the band distinguishes itself with the soaring "She's Magnetic" and the Irish-flavored drinking ditty "Anna (I'm Coming Home)." -Jason Scales

CMJ New Music Monthly, Oct. 2003
"On every album, there are those nuggets that stay with you (guitar trills, background refrains and ecstatic choruses) long after you've forgotten the name of songs and the lyrics. Paper Airplane Pilots' songs are all about the nuggets - poppy-scented harmonies, blissed-out licks and dreamy, half-speed breakdowns - that keep your head swirling. When the Pilots are flying high, you'll speed easily from cloud to cloud with the chipper mid-'60s style skiffle-pop tunes. Jeremiah Wallis and Ryan Duffy have been working together for a decade and that experience shows in these well-hond performances. Rarely lasting more than two and a half minutes, the reverent numbers frolic in and out so quickly, some of them sound like just one long chorus. Whle those melodies are a lot of frothy fun, they occasionally leave you wanting for more texture and dynamics. Those arrangements that feature even a small string section show much promise, and the rollicking drinking number "Anna" illustrates that the Pilots can successfully break from a straightforward beat. Unfortunately, when the Pilots stop kicking out the singles and opt for a slow, strummy ballad, the hooks just aren't as strong. If you've worn down the grooves on your Badfinger and Big Star vinyl, you can easily slide Paper Airplane Pilots into the rotation. You'll get well-crafted pop, nothing more or less." (Neil Gladstone)

Reckless Records
"This debut release from Chicago's power pop quartet is somehow the incarnation of Cheap Trick, Shoes, the Scruffs and about six or seven other various bands that you like and get excited about whenever that one song comes on and you can never remember who it is. That's what's so good about this album: unlike other and more "signed" bands that are trying to do the same thing in Chicago, Paper Airplane Pilots sound like they're using their own songs and own history and own brains to bring us music that familiarizes and pops out like that song by the band you can't remember. You will swear that you asked out your middle school sweetheart while any one of these songs was playing. And if you're in middle school now, you'll be inspired to do so immediately."

Not Lame
"Paper Airplane Pilots are a feast, and we mean a gorging type affair, for pop fans. This amazing albums blends, churns, and connects so many influences. It's like a colorful 'n tasty vaguely psych collection of Redd Kross, Teenage Fanclub, Myracle Brah, and the Nines. Stunning. It's a masterpiece in terms of arrangement, melodic and rhythmic counterpoint, and most importantly, rock-solid execution. Yup, you guessed it: Extremely highly recommended ... Essential Power Pop."

Cosmik Debris
"Spade Kitty Records honcho Matt Walters has devoted the best part of a decade to recording, releasing and promoting the best pop music from Chicago and its environs, but he's outdone himself with the release of the debut album by Paper Airplane Pilots, a Chicago quartet led by a remarkable young singer/songwriter/guitarist, Jeremiah Wallis. It's called The History Of Flying, but there's plenty of history of a different kind here. Over the course of 16 Wallis originals, the band manages to touch base with nearly every important feature of power pop music over the last 40 years. Amazingly, they manage to do so without descending into any of the genre's most troublesome cliches. Although the music seems to quote most of the usual suspects, from the Beatles and Birds to Red Star and Nirvana, they do so with a consistent high degree of freshness and originality, and the kind of energy that's only produced by musicians who love the music they're playing. This one's a must hear, and for power pop fans, hearing will make it a must have." (Shaun Dale)

Chicago Reader
"...Also on the bill are local heroes-to-be the Paper Airplane Pilots, whose full length debut took almost two years to finish. It's well worth it: its pop crinkle and jangle is nearly flawless, in a Badfinger/Big Star sort of way." (Monica Kendrick)

Bangsheet.com
"'She's Magnetic,' Paper Airplane Pilots. - In what I've come to refer to as 'the great pop song debacle 2003,' the Paper Airplane Pilots have won over my fading pop fan heart with this absolutely sublime track that hints at so many little pop fetishes (not afraid of guitars, shifting and moody tempos, and agitated lead vocal that soothes over when harmonized with) that I've never ventured past it on the disc from which it emanates (The History of Flying) for fear of being let down. Someday I'll listen to the rest...but for now 'She's Magnetic' has my vote of Best Pop Song of the New Millenium." (Kurt Hernon)

Fufkin.com
"Although the Chicago-area band, Paper Airplane Pilots, may not favor jangly guitars in their pop/rock tunes, their material has a timeless power pop appeal. Their debut album, 'The History of Flying,' features 16 songs that are full of crunchy guitar hooks and excellent vocals. It all adds up to an album that merits comparisons with Cheap Trick, the Chevelles, the Shazam, and Myracle Brah. Many thanks to the folks at Spade Kitty Records who sent me a promo copy of this top-notch disc." (Eric Sorenson)

Splendidezine.com
"One of the most ingratiating characteristics of power pop is its timelessness. Draw a line from Big Star to Jellyfish to Zumpano and you'll find you've made a circle -- it's a gloriously hermetic world where trends hold no sway. Unfortunately, power pop is also commercial suicide, and few bands have cracked the code of how to make what should be the world's most likable music acceptable to the masses. Paper Airplane Pilots aren't quite in the league of the aforementioned veterans, but you can see a similar fate in store for The History of Flying. More lo-fi and more whimsical than their peers, they use their songs' rough edges as launching points into history ("Eva Braun"), chemistry ("She's a Liquid") and low Earth orbit ("Raspberry Pie"). A certain amount of spontaneity seems to reign, offering a refreshing change from the micro-manager approach to sonic detail that the genre inherited from the Beach Boys. Neither a step forward, nor a step back, this is simply another proud entry in the tradition -- and as such, it's pretty wonderful." (Ben Hughes)