Photo by Adam Parshall

Earlier this year, the great Boston noise rock band Pile released their sixth full-length effort, All Fiction. It’s a listen at their arguably most dense with atmospheric experimentation and a surreal churn moving through it sound that these pages is still wrapping its head around. In the trio’s latest evolved state, the head fills even further of helium with “The Birds Attacked My Hot Air Balloon”, the latest preview from the All Fiction sessions that will be collected on a new extended play, Hot Air Balloon –thankfully, due out early next year, giving listeners plenty of time to process the latter while gravitating to wherever they’re float onto next here. Guitars and kaleidoscopic keys fixate around a gentle lullaby, by Pile standards at least, up until it’s not, winds wild and roaring. Vocalist and guitarist Rick Maguire’s voice never comes close to touching back down to the ground regardless of the weather conditions. “I could see your house from here if I bothered to look / Now all that I can do is think of those birds.” It’s a strange view, and one that leaves your head stuck up there with him.

Animated by: Nicole Amidon

Pile’s Hot Air Balloon will be released January 5th on Exploding In Sound Records.