Piebald: Accidental Gentleman

Piebald plays a jocular brand of power-pop full of faux-rock riffs and adorable lyrics. The band exploded onto the emo-punk scene in 1999 with their memorably-titled album If It Weren’t For Venetian Blinds It Would Be Curtain for Us All. The leader of this emo-geek outfit is Travis Shettel, a shaggy-haired dude with black-rimmed spectacles. Shettel sings in a whiny, nasal twine and exudes a bevy of ironic phrases. (He has a knack for juxtaposing clichés such as: “Life is a bitch, and life is a beach”.) The band continues their adolescent antics with their new effort, Accidental Gentleman, a raucous and fun album; with its share of catchy, jubilant hooks. Unfailingly, the group delivers their eccentric emo schlock; and ultimately the album is bit of a let down. Instead of progressing, Piebald seems to be churning out the same standard emo-punk they exhibited ten years ago. Shettel’s songwriting prowess has not improved much since the days of Venetian Blinds. His infectious riffs inevitably regress into a bland repetitious verse or an awkwardly placed bridge. After a decade of playing music, the band simply has not established itself as anything beyond a novelty emo act.