In most cases, discussions of G-O-D and the big existential questions seem a bit gauche for indie rock. Not that the ground is necessarily marked by nihilism and apathy, but it takes a special kind of voice – weary, and pining for truth – asking the right questions, to engage listeners on such a divisive, heady topic.
Pedro the Lion’s frontman, David Bazan, has made a career charting his relationship with The Guy in the Sky and otherwise exploring the predicament we find ourselves herein. 2009’s Curse Your Branches, Bazan’s post-Pedro solo LP, marked the singer’s departure from his usual Christian wisdom into more uncertain, ‘dark night of the soul’-type waters. Now, two years after, Strange Negotiations presents a new Bazan – wiser, toughened – and this time he brought a band along. David has not only been relieved of the tremendous, crushing weight of Nothingness, but he’s no longer alone, ditching the synth and solo-recording obsessions for collaborative players. Fans of old Pedro should relish in it.
To me, Bazan has always had a certain lethargy to his music: the rhythm, the strumming, the vocal delivery – all just a little late. On older albums, It’s Hard to Find a Friend through Achilles Heel, it hinted at suffering, it gave everything a listless character. On Strange Negotiations, that Bazan trademark makes new sense; what once sounded laboured, now manages nonchalance and easiness. The new Bazan sounds calm and cool, a few steps back, past the moralizing, above the Job-type questioning, and beyond the fixation with heaven and hell.
I’m really enjoying Strange Negotiations, it’s straightforward, rootsy Bazan with a big helping of maturity and growth. Favourites are “People,” “Virginia,” and “Level with Yourself,” two of which we were fortunate enough to capture live.
— Chris Hampton
