The increase in one-man bands in recent years is staggering, and notjust because the advent of technology makes it possible. It's alsostaggering because so many of them are so good. David Bazan tried Pedrothe Lion as a full band, but eventually opted to do it all himself. On"Control," Pedro the Lion's third full-length, Bazan is joined by CaseyFoubert, and the songs are more powerful and raw than anything the bandhas recorded yet. Bazan's lyrics continue to improve, and on "Control"he examines the affect of modern life on human relationships indifferent scenarios. It's been opined in various publications (and onthe Jade Tree Bulletin Board - Pedro the Lion's label) that these songsgreatly reflect Bazan's Christianity, and that such beliefs should notbe present in music of the indie punk genre. They couldn't be morewrong. True, the opening lyrics of the album describe a person whocannot divorce their mate, but that doesn't necessarily have to be theprofession of Christian beliefs. This album is all about the failure ofmodern culture, and how that failure affects our dealings with others.Corporate structure is taken to task on the back-to-back power hit of'Penetration' and 'Indian Summer' - "If you aren't moving units thenyou're not worth the expense' and 'If it isn't penetration, then itisn't worth the kiss' on the former, with talk of kids being taughtearly to love the taste of 'corporate cum' on the latter. The seeminglychemical breakdown of the family unit is examined on more than onetrack, but the most frightening is 'Rehearsal,' where the narratorchooses to make his lover pay for her motel meetings with anotherrather than break it off with her ("You are so unoriginal/You'll seethat I can be so unoriginal just like you"). It's a big step for Pedrothe Lion, one that will hopefully remove the stigma associated withthem and increase their audience. -
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