"Wouldn't it be so wonderful if everything was meaningless / But everything is so meaningful / And most everything turns to [manure] / Rejoice," deadpans an opaque, elusive David Bazan on "Rejoice." Which concludes his newest concept album, Control, with the same sorrowful tone that pervaded the final song of 2000's Winners Never Quit. Whereas the characters in Winners -- an ends-justifies-means right wing politician and his no good brother -- were capable, in something of a Dostoevskyian fashion, of eliciting pity and empathy from those listening, those on Control, with the ambivalent exception of the wife, rouse nothing but disdain and revolt.
Using a Flannery O'Connor style of neutral narrative, the story originates in the song "Options," with the husband and wife walking hand-in-hand on the beach, voicing their hesitant and shaky affirmations of love for one another. From there, we're whisked away to a sleazy motel room, the view turning utterly voyeuristic and jaw-dropping as the husband and his mistress are witnessed writhing in the heat of passion, while clothes are scattered across the floor, and a Gideon Bible sits awkwardly in the night stand drawer. From here, we go to witness the husband's corrupt, greedy corporate dealings, resulting in huge net profits, in the stylised, hyper-modernised version of "Progress," in which it becomes strikingly apparent that riches and modern technology are no cure for sinful behavior, but rather often aid and abet depravity. In the songs "Unoriginal" and "Second Best," the wife goes from being offended at her husband's assumption of her naivety, in the face of his glaring infidelity, to finally being crushed under the despair of an empty, uninspired, and defiled marriage. And as the "mattress creeps beneath a symphony of misery," she consoles herself by concluding that she can learn to live with being his second best. It's heart wrenching.
However, the marriage finally implodes in "Priests/ Paramedics," when the husband wakes up on stretcher, having been fatally stabbed by his heartbroken wife, and pitifully screams: "Oh my God. Am I gonna die?" A sentiment that is later echoed by a disillusioned preacher at his funeral, who, instead of offering consolation, utters, "You're all gonna die / You're all gonna die."
Don't be fooled by the Bedhead/Low/Hayden-ish (Barlow references be hung) opener that epitomised so much of Pedro the Lion's earlier releases. Although it is nowhere near as chaotic as the Damien Jurado fronted teenage hardcore of the Guilty/Coolidge, Control is Bazan's return to rock. However, as the slower, oft a capella moments, with their crushing resonance briefly testify, folk, "lonely man's pop," slowcore, what-have-you, may be Bazan's greatest asset, although his faultless juxtaposition of the macabre with exhilarated rock melodies is a worthy detour.
Editors' ratings - Doug 3.5/5, Jason 4/5
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…Decapolis March 2002Reviewed by Matt ModrichThis 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…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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