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Pedro
the Lion
Achilles Heel
(Jade
Tree)
The words "Achilles' Heel" denote a sense of weakness.
Rarely are those words used for purposes of praise or of great
achievement. It's always about something that's a setback. A
stutter. A hesitation. A limitation. Even with that title emblazoned
in my mind, I still had high expectations of what was to come.
From "Bands with Managers" it was obvious that this
is a complete 180 from where Pedro the Lion was on It's
Hard to Find a Friend. Maturity, growth, and a label change
can do that to a band. It wasn't just that though. It continued
on in a light heartedness until the song "Discretion"
rolled along. So it was obvious from the outset that one of
the weaknesses of this album was a plot. There wasn't a story
line that has been a mainstay of the past Pedro the Lion albums.
In fact, the only real thing that could be seen as a possible
conflict is the subtle sexist under text that plagues this album.
I'm not a feminist, but give me a break. There has to be something
better brewing in Bazan's mind then music made for degrading
women.
There were a couple of catchy tracks few and far between. The
music wasn't interesting. I'm still searching for the meaning
of this album (if it did have a point, it was deeply overshadowed).
Well, point being, it was boring. Listening to the same whining
over and over again is just annoying. Nothing was new or inventive
on Achilles Heel.
For a number of artists, this could be an accomplishment. But
for Pedro the Lion, I expected a hell of a lot more. All that's
left is a guessing game. Are they saving up great material for
a new album? Is this something that could be the norm for Pedro
the Lion from now on? Should we even bother waiting around?
If there wasn't a space-time continuum, someone could go back
in time and prevent this album from being released. It really
could save a lot of people from the pain of these frivolous
sound waves. Let's just cut to the chase; Achilles Heel
had the potential for being something great, possibly one of
the best albums of the year. But it's nowhere near that possibility.
Cross your fingers and toes in hope that by the next album,
Pedro the Lion will have it together.
Reviewed by
Anna Horevay
June 18th, 2004 |
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