The design and layout of the record was handled by punk legend Sonny Kay (VSS, Angel Hair) -- which is worth mentioning, because not only is it a cool tidbit, it's also a pretty good primer on what to expect from the record.
Within seconds of listening to Pioneers, you're going to be struck over the head with a Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu vibe. That's not a bad thing; it sounds terrific. If you're not into either of those bands, though, Glass Hits probably won't fit into your daily listening schedule. If it does, however, you'll be happily impressed with what's on tape here. The eleven songs blaze through quickly, with most clocking in at around three minutes and not one of them showing any sign of restraint. These tracks are all about melting faces for the duration and will accept no less.
"Exit Tracks" is probably the best example of this; it doesn't even bother giving you a second to warm up before it kicks straight into the song. It shifts and moves throughout, too, verging on exploding into some kind of fiery ball but holding back long enough to get about halfway through the song before collapsing into itself. It's one of the tracks on the record that demands acute listening: You can't toss this on in the background and let it fly on by.
There are other songs that resemble a more traditional structure mixed in to keep things from getting too overbearing. "Safety in Numbers," for instance, is a pretty straightforward, driving number that's content to simply be a song without showing off much. Trust us: This is well worth the thirty or so minutes you'll spend with it, and marks an excellent debut full-length from the band.
Follow Backbeat @westword_music and facebook.com/westwordmusic
