Before there’s any discussion over the music with “Control” it must be noted that the artwork is nothing short of splendid. The thick stock paper and textured look adds real weight to the release. That said, “Control” is a pretty awesome platter of music as well. The somber, thick indierock stylings of David Bazan and Casey Foubert seem particularly well captured with this release, and the lyrics are more cutting than ever before. It takes a certain degree of patience to appreciate PEDRO THE LION if you’re mainly a hardcore kid, because everything feels like it’s crawling in slow motion, but the depth to the music is outstanding. Each songs retains individual character, from the cheerful, and catchy, “Indian Summer” to the off-kilter “Magazine,” and despotic “Rehearsal.” The latter track contains the eerie sputterings of, “I always said I would kill you If I caught you stepping out / Now I see I did not know the half of what hatred and revenge were all about.” Could Mr. Balzan be a motivational speaker in diguise? Maybe in future imprisonment perhaps. “Control” proves that you don’t need to be surrounded in power chords to be a “heavy” band as the tension entrenched within this release couldn’t be any stronger.

Jade Tree

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