Search - Pedro the Lion :: Whole

Sin and Redemption

09/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This ep is quite an incredible venture through one man's journey through his own struggles and on into the loving redemption found in God. Quite a ride that will dredge up so many emotions that will hit you intensely, unless you are either heartless or dead. The song, "almost there" is probably the song that hits me the hardest. It describes so well how life can be such a struggle sometimes. But the ep does not just describe struggle, it also offers hope at the end of the ep. Redemption is a strong message. The frontman, David Bazan, (who IS the band since other contributing musicians are constantly changing) is such an incredibly humble person as well. I had the pleasure of seeing him+band this summer at Cornerstone Music Fest. The place was packed; he came on stage barefoot and bearded, wearing his plain white t-shirt and plain drab shorts and proceeded to deliver one of the best shows I have ever seen. Also, this band has been richly blessed with all the musicians who have helped with recording and touring, they have added wonderful touches of individuality to each album. Buy them all! -jack"

The Best [Money] You'll Spend For A Long Time

Clinton D. Smith | 08/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...If you have [the money], which you should, then this is what you should spend it on. David Bazan's band, Pedro The Lion, released this first CD in 1997 on Tooth & Nail Records. It is a six-song journey through the life of a faltering Christian, falling on his face just as every believer does. These songs deal with heartache, drug addiction, finding self-worth in God, and falling down at the feet of the Lord. Never before have I heard so much said in under half an hour. If you only buy one Pedro album, do yourself a favor and get this! 5 stars."

The bridge

William Krischke | Portland, OR United States | 07/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is Pedro's first concept album. The first song is a high-minded rejection of the philosophy of Christianity, then the second and third track a descent into addiction, and the third is encountering Jesus again -- this time as the "hole fix it man" (or maybe that's "whole fix it man") only one who could maybe help. The fourth is about peace and rest, and the fifth is peace and rest. By taking us through this journey, Pedro is making an important point -- that following Jesus isn't a matter of intellectual assent, but of experiential need. Kierkegaard is all over this album. The standout song is the climax, "Almost There." This song is the bridge between punk and emo. We stopped listening to punk because we got tired of the yelling. You can be a rebel without being angry, and eventually all the screaming ends up just feeling overly dramatic. Emo takes the same emotions that drove punk and subliminates them. Anger becomes cynicism and aggression becomes passive-aggression for the sake of self-preservation: it's sort of "the only sane thing to do is to scream but as soon as I scream you think I'm insane." On "Almost There," the anger and desperation rises to the surface in the chorus -- dominant is Bazan's monomelodic, slow, almost boring emo vocal, but creeping up underneath it is a much more raw, desperate, punk echo. Having heard it, you can never hear that subdued, "boring" dominant vocal without at least sensing the echo of anger and desperation, and that's the heart of emo. I'm screaming, you just don't know it because you're not listening. The song is a masterpiece."