David Bazan - Fewer Moving Parts [EP]

Label: Eat My Flesh, Drink My Blood

Release date: June 13, 2006

mp3: Cold Beer and Cigarettes

If the cover art had "Pedro The Lion" stamped on it instead of "David Bazan", fans might never know the difference. This is David Bazan's first release since dropping the "Pedro The Lion" moniker and becoming a solo effort. "Pedro The Lion" was basically just David Bazan anyway, with a rotating cast backing him at shows.

The best way to describe this EP is that it combines elements of Control, Achilles Heel, and David Bazan's electronic side project "Headphones". The result is 5 indie rock songs that follow the logical progression of sound for Pedro The Lion. All the songs are fairly catchy and singable, with "Cold Beer and Cigarettes" being the stand-out track. It's true that the songs tend to sound a bit bland after a while, and repeated listens tend to dwindle in just a short time. I think this EP is a must for Pedro/Bazan fans, but it won't win fans or break any new ground.

Anyone that was bummed about Pedro The Lion breaking up has absolutely no need to break out the anti-depressants. Fewer Moving Parts has everything that a Pedro The Lion could, except the cute and cuddly name.