| · Hipster kryptonite.
If there’s one thing Pedro the Lion’s singer-songwriter David Bazan knows how to do, it’s find a person’s weak spot. Bazan is known for writing seemingly fragile pop songs that bite back with a fierce snap. His latest record has been called a departure in style, but is probably the most personal of all his albums.
Instead of hiding behind a dark persona or fantastical story-driven narrative, Bazan opens up and allows his audience a peak into his psyche. Just like Winners Never Quit was a thematic departure from Control, Achilles Heel reveals Bazan’s softer side. He even shows that he has a sense of humour on the track "Arizona," a love song personifying philandering states ("Arizona curled up with California/ then she tried to hide the whole thing from New Mexico").
This is the first album where Bazan collaborated with a band while writing the album and the extra support has shouldered some of the responsibility of carrying an entire album by himself. This newfound freedom positively explores new styles of songwriting. Bazan still manages to find the gloomy reality in a dirty world, but perhaps he’s finally at peace.
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