pedro the lion - achilles heel

.:: David Bazan, the driving force behind Pedro the Lion, hasn't reached Jay-Z's level of material success, and even fans of Pedro the Lion's work might not recognize Bazan's name outside of the context of his band.

Recorded in his home studio near Seattle, Achilles Heel enlists previous collaborator TW Walsh, along with fellow Jade Tree label mates James McAlister and Ester Drang. The album jumps off with "Bands With Managers", a catchy, ironic song reminiscent of a slowed down Grandaddy ditty that seems inspired by a run-in Bazan had with an arrogant lead singer or actual manager.

Achilles Heel is filled with a few deviations from Pedro the Lion's previous style. For example, long-term fans will wonder at the higher falsetto with which Bazan sings, and speculate if he is attempting to emulate the success that groups like Coldplay have found recently. But for the most part, Pedro the Lion continue to mine the rich vein of material they've been concentrating on from the beginning.

Much of Achilles Heel focuses on Bazan's attempt to hold his relationships together no matter the cost. His relationship with God, his wife and himself all bend under the strain, but he'll break his bones holding them together. Ultimately, Bazan continues to sound more like a distillation of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and The Counting Crows' Adam Duritz than the latest flavor of pop star.

Bazan uses the context to separate himself from other groups that are so obviously "going places", using the occasion to posture that his relationship with longtime contributor T. William Walsh is far more important than getting to open for U2 on their next stadium tour. Lyrics like "But I trust T. William Walsh and I'm not afraid to die" are a testament to friendship and loyalty that Bazan takes more seriously than the trajectory of his career.

Somehow a band that existed in a foundation of Christian indie rock found an audience with songs that dredge the banks of the river misery. Would the achievement destroy the very fabric that made Pedro the Lion great: poignant, somber songs about Bazan's moral struggle with faith, marital fidelity, and the reason to keep going in this life?


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