|
2002 was beginning to
suck. Six months into the year and nothing interesting was
coming from the music industry. It had been what, seven years
(?) since Radiohead emerged. Up-and-comers like Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club and The White Stripes show promise, but really don't
demand full attention yet. The Strokes are here and gone
already. What we need is music of substance - something that
we'll remember ten years from now.
Enter Pedro the Lion.
Originally a band, now a solo project by guitarist/singer David
Bazan, Pedro the Lion creates music that will stick to anything it
reflects against. Control is a simple affair-
bass and drums create a foundation for sharply honed electric
guitars. Bazen's vocals float melodically above the
instruments, tossing out brilliant lines of verse that actually mean
something (which is rare these days!).
A plodding rhythm
introduces "Options," a song that represents the Pedro sound but
doesn't answer any questions about why this album is so good.
The next two tracks, "Rapture" and "Penetration," offer an intensely
powerful one-two punch, with their stacked guitars and sing-along
vocal melodies. "Rapture" is the sort of tune that would have
the audience jumping six feet in the air at a performance.
"Penetration" isn't about sex, it's about sales. Slamming
guitars pound away while Bazan sings, "If it isn't making dollars,
then it isn't making sense / If you aren't moving units, then you're
not worth the expense." Hey, that sounds waaay too close to
home.
The album continues with
seven more amazing tracks. "Indian Summer" is a pretty tribute
to the few days of sunshine and warmth that appear just before
autumn turns infinitely cold. The tempo slows for "Progress,"
and an electric piano provides a nice counterpoint to the guitars in
"Magazine." The guitars are back in full force in the hard
rocking "Rehearsal," but you haven't heard heavy until you
play "Second Best," a song that throws a bucket of sound at you,
falls back to a quiet vocal melody ("...I need a rest / after all,
what's wrong with second best?"). The album closes with
a poppy tribute to the life-savers among us ("Priests and
Paramedics"), and a song drenched in dreamy reverb ("Rejoice").
By the time the
year is over, a lot of artists will wish they had created an album
as fulfilling as Control. Pedro the Lion has created
the work of a lifetime, and they deserve your attention.
Download Control from EMusic.com
(one free track for non-members)
Purchase Control from CDNow
|
