This is probably one of the most depressing albums of the year. It's even darker than David Bazan's 2000 release "Winners Never Quit." Which is surprising considering that album was about a political candidate who bought his way into office and killed his wife because she was going to rat him out.
His latest project "Control" tells the story of a man who has an affair and is later killed by his wife. The story is fictional, but its themes hit home as Bazan incorporates powerful language such as graphic sexual references and profanity to make his point. The devastation that an affair causes a marriage, the greediness of corporate America, children who are becoming progressively worse than their parents, the futility of trying to avoid death and the meaninglessness of life-these are just some of the bleak pictures that "Control" paints of modern life.
As for its musical content, this is Bazan's most complex production yet. The musical simplicity of previous albums has been almost completely abandoned. In fact, he has even incorporated new sounds by adding a keyboard to "Indian Summer" and a voice-effect to "Progress."
Quality musical production is new for Bazan, considering his profound lyrics on previous recordings have been delivered through basic lo-fi songs. Musically, this album seems miles away from those records, except for "Progress" which is reminiscent of "It's Hard to Find a Friend" as it uses simple hooks along with great one-liners like "Your father drank a little, you're on liver number two."
Nevertheless, these songs are just as well-written as before and they also achieve Bazan's purpose in creating an appropriately ominous accompaniment to the story's plot. "Rapture" rocks out with Foo Fighter's like energy as it describes the man celebrating his infidelity. "Indian Summer" conveys false optimism as the poppy chorus says "God bless the Indian summer," when the man must tell his family that he lost his job. "Second Best" also hits its mark with sonic intensity as it conveys the importance of not settling for second best like the man returning to the affair after he's been caught. "Priests and Paramedics" is also a darkly ironic song, especially when the lyrics of its catchy chorus are read aloud. "You're gonna die, we're all gone die. Could be twenty years, could be tonight. Lately I have been wondering why we go to so much trouble to postpone the unavoidable and prolong the pain of being alive."
The last song "Rejoice" is an enigma, because it seems to be self-contradictory. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if everything were meaningless? But everything is so meaningful and most everything turns to s***, rejoice." But perhaps the meaning of "Rejoice" and "Control" will become clear with the next album, which Bazan says is supposed to bring redemption to this tragic tale of moral decay.
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Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by David SongDavid Bazan was the driving force behind Pedro the Lion, a Seattle band described as indie/emo rock. Eventually, Pedro the Lion stripped down to Bazan and his guitar, but with Control, there is no sign of him stopping or slowing down. But while Bazan might seem to Christian indie rock what Relient K is to punk, or Zao was to hardcore, Control contains exactly the kind of material that consumers…Decapolis March 2002Reviewed by Scott HatchWhile billed as a departure from the standard Pedro the Lion format, Control basically carries on in the same manner as the traditional cannon. Granted, the drum beats are increasingly complicated, there are more keyboard parts, and the album more fully rocks out than previous efforts. The influence of Bedhead's Transaction de Novo is still present, but much less than on It's Hard to Find a…ReAL Magazine 2002Reviewed by Jeremy KeillorLyrically this is the edgiest CD by a "Christian" band. Ten songs tell of a marriage gone wrong. Always the enemy of easy answers David Bazan leaves the listener with the lines, "wouldn't it be wonderful if everything were meaningless but everything is so meaningful and most everything turns to s***" Musically there is a tougher rock sound with hints of punk on a couple songs. My opinion: get…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Trae CadenheadFrom listening to all the previous Pedro the Lion albums, I can make a few characterizations about the music that singer/lyricist/guitarist Dave Bazan makes: it sounds just right, it does a masterful job of storytelling, and it is controversial. The new album Control lives up to all of these standards to an even higher degree than any previous Pedro the Lion CD. For those who have missed out on…Opus 2002Reviewed by Jason MoreheadWhen I think of Pedro The Lion, two words come to mind... Thomas Kinkade, the so-called "Painter Of Light™." His paintings are idyllic little settings that usually involve a lighthouse, small cottage, or gazebo set in a perpetual springtime where it's always Sunday morning. There's usually a pond or creek nearby, and gardens just bursting into bloom. Everything is bathed in a soft, tranquil…Similar sounding releases
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