★★★★★
Stagnant Pools opened things up shortly after the promised start time of 9 p.m. They were a stripped down, sibling guitar-and-drums duo playing post-punk that was quite heavily indebted to Joy Division. Their stage demeanor-particularly vocalist/guitarist Bryan Enas-was dry to the point of near-hilarity. So much so, I nearly lost it when he muttered towards the end of the set, "We're really excited to be here." The contrast was mesmerizing. The music itself wasn't bad, though...
- www.punknews.org
2012-11-20
★★★★★
After years of working under monikers like Pedro the Lion and Headphones, David Bazan's 2009 disc Curse Your Branches was a great solo debut. It tackled some incredibly difficult subjects (religion, alcoholism, and pedophilia, among others) in an earnest and intelligent way, and was one of Bazan's most consistent releases in a pretty prolific career...
- www.punknews.org
2011-09-12
★★★★★
After sparring for a decade with the Almighty as Pedro The Lion, David Bazan owned up to his newfound agnosticism and dropped the old moniker in 2006. On his subsequent full-length, Curse Your Branches, he expanded his sound with vocal harmonies, pedal steel, and blubbery synths borrowed from his side project The Headphones, but the lyrics were as biblically grounded as ever...
- www.avclub.com
2011-06-13
★★★★★
When an artist "goes solo," does the sophomore album rule of thumb still apply? No matter, David Bazan's avoided that particular pitfall with the solid Strange Negotiations with -- not grace, but something like it. He's never been a particularly graceful artist, and it's one of his enviable strengths. When he was fronting Pedro the Lion, Bazan was clumsy, awkward even, but he was ruthlessly efficient...
- www.noripcord.com
2011-06-06
★★★★★
It's not like he's a great singer, but David Bazan certainly knows his voice. On Strange Negotiations, Bazan's second solo album, he mostly sounds world-weary. There's an edge in his throat and absolutely zero BS in his straightforward delivery of lines like "You're a goddamn fool and I love you." Expression and emotion seem afterthoughts...
- www.popmatters.com
2011-06-06
★★★★★
David Bazan's well-publicized quarrel with Christianity reached a breaking point with 2009's Curse Your Branches, the sound of one man's Dark Night of the Soul translated to searing indie folk. With his former band Pedro the Lion, Bazan frequently took on the role of musical prophet, turning out five albums of thoughtful, theologically-oriented songs...
- www.pastemagazine.com
2011-05-30
★★★★★
David Bazan's range is limited; his voice is raw and rough. His particular style of guitar-playing consists of chugging out bursts of one chord--pausing--and then moving on to the next, a locomotive train pulling in and out of a quick succession of stations...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2011-05-30
★★★★★
Release Date: May 24, 2011 It's safe to say most musicians draw on personal experiences and beliefs during the writing process. But, few match the intensity with which Seattle singer-songwriter David Bazan crafts his albums. As lead singer of the band Pedro the Lion, he often infused his first-person lyricism with spiritual imagery, the importance of which shone through with every line of Bazan's heartfelt vocals...
- absolutepunk.net
2011-05-30
★★★★★
The man behind Pedro The Lion steps out for the 1st album under his own name, and it's a stunner: A fearlessly honest work detailing his struggles with alcohol and family issues, and most central to the album, his loss of faith in God. The album's also beautifully crafted, ranging from melancholy ballads to catchy, more uptempo rockers.
- kexp.org
2011-05-11
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