Achilles' Heel in Bloomington, MN

Achilles' Heel
,
Pedro the Lion
's fifth album, is a hallmark for the band, a culmination of their previous work, and -- upon its release -- their best album to date. Breaking down the linear narratives of
The Only Reason I Feel Secure
and
Control
into broader concepts and themes that rely far less on storytelling and more on topical personal politics turns out to be a winning approach. Walking through the emotional fray of America's suburban ennui,
David Bazan
and company have built a beautiful and wavering mix of
indie rock
country-folk
.
Ester Drang
keyboardist
James McAlister
is a shining addition to
Bazan
and longtime contributor
T.W. Walsh
, adding a syrupy keyboard undercurrent to contrast
's longing melodies and lyrics -- and the guitar work reaches new levels of uncharacteristic gritty
rock
on the venomous
"Keep Swinging"
(don't expect it for more than one track, though). With some of the best songs of the band's career -- the classic, simple,
country
-tinged
"Foregone Conclusions"
and the lush, soaring
"The Fleecing,"
for example --
cast themselves as a
Neil Young
for the tract homes and convenience stores, a middle-class hero for those caught in the mundane space between the McMansions and the nine-to-five grind.
is a master of this stuff, delving through the routine and ordinary for every drop of melancholy and poetry. While lilting and humorless (don't expect anything as fun as
the Darkness
here), these songs are like literature set to music, the
counterpart to a novel like
A.M. Homes
'
The Safety of Objects
-- maybe a little tough to swallow or make it all the way through, but brilliantly rendered nonetheless. ~ Charles Spano