The Top 10 Albums of 2009 -- #7 3 Rounds & a Sound by Blind Pilot

Blind Pilot is from Portland. I am from Portland. Those two sentences should warn you that this post may be less than objective.

I first heard of Blind Pilot from two music-savvy locals and actually intended to see the band live at the Crystal Ballroom a few months back. I ended up missing the show, having made the mistake of thinking I could buy tickets at the door

I don’t know if Blind Pilot is selling out shows outside of Portland, but, if they aren’t, they likely will be soon.

3 Rounds & a Sound is the group’s first album, and an excellent first album it is. Lead singer Israel Nebeker’s voice has a warm, emotive quality that feels reminiscent yet new. Maybe that doesn’t make any sense. What I mean to say is that the album feels somehow familiar, but not hackneyed or uninteresting.

Overall, the sound is mellow (perfect for rainy Portland Januaries). At times it is melancholy, like the pitying “Poor Boy,” which tells of hard labor, bondage, and graves. At other times, the sound is more upbeat (albeit a mellow upbeat), like the title track, which rounds out the album. Sometimes rustic, sometimes whimsical, 3 Rounds takes listeners on a captivating, folky journey through beautifully written lyrics accompanied by acoustic guitars, dulcimers, and violins with a Northwest feel.

It’s not just Blind Pilot’s sound that is so distinctly Portland. In 2008, when the band was just a duo (Nebeker with Ryan Dobrowski)—they’ve since added four members—they completed a bicycle tour from Bellingham, Washington, to San Diego, California.

If you aren’t ready to purchase 3 Rounds & a Sound yet, consider checking out the free Blind Pilot tracks available on Daytrotter. They also released an EP on December 29, and it’s available on iTunes.

RIYL: The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine

Standout tracks: “The Story I Heard,” “Go On, Say It,” and “I Buried a Bone”