I'm Not a Pilot follows up its 2009 debut EP with the full album Need Money for Rocket Fuel, a showcase for Milwaukee's premier guitar-less rock band. Pianist/singer Mark Glatzel borrows from the less nasal aspects of emo, and occasional choral vocals provide a pleasing background. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra cellist Peter Thomas adds unforced gravitas to the proceedings. The combination of keyboards and strings infuses the structure of the songs with a kind of stern grace familiar to Arcade Fire fans. A broader frame of reference would place I’m Not a Pilot between the pop charms of The Left Banke and Yellowcard's pop-punk-with-violin.
