Achilles Heel (album)

Last updated

Achilles Heel
Achilles Heel album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Pedro the Lion
ReleasedMay 25, 2004 (2004-05-25)
Genre
Length38:11
Label Jade Tree (JT1095)
Producer David Bazan
Pedro the Lion chronology
Control
(2002)		Achilles Heel
(2004)		 Phoenix
(2019)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 71/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Pitchfork (4.7/10) [4]

Achilles Heel (also known as Pedro the Lion's Achilles Heel) is the fourth album by indie rock band Pedro the Lion. It was released on May 25, 2004, on Jade Tree Records. The cover artwork was by Jesse LeDoux. It reached #26 on the Top Heatseekers and #24 on the Top Independent Albums charts. [5]

Contents

Music and lyrical themes

Achilles Heel marked a departure from the band's the heavier, rock-oriented sound on Control, featuring more upbeat melodies [6] and sonic experimentation. [7] The band's primary songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, David Bazan, additionally described the album as "less bleak" and "more multi-faceted" than the band's previous album. [8]

Critical reception

Achilles Heel received mixed reviews on its release, with multiple reviews opining its lack of focus relative to the band's previous two concept albums. [6] [9]

Stephen Thompson, writing for The A.V. Club , called the album "a bit of a hodge-podge," but ultimately praised its "exquisitely wrought, inimitably pessimistic epiphanies." [10] Pitchfork panned the album in a 4.7 out of 10 review, calling it "topographically uniform" and a "stumble" for the band. [9]

AllMusic , however, gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 rating, calling it "a beautiful and wavering mix of indie rock and country-folk" and the band's best album to date. [11] Similarly, in its 2012 retrospective review, Sputnikmusic rated the album 4.5 out of 5, citing its more autobiographical elements as a highlight. [12]

Track listing

All tracks by David Bazan except "Keep Swinging" (co-written with T.W. Walsh) and "Start Without Me" (T.W. Walsh).

  1. "Bands With Managers"  – 3:46
  2. "Foregone Conclusions"  – 2:27
  3. "The Fleecing"  – 4:41
  4. "Discretion"  – 2:50
  5. "Arizona"  – 4:08
  6. "Keep Swinging"  – 2:53
  7. "Transcontinental"  – 2:38
  8. "I Do"  – 4:11
  9. "A Simple Plan"  – 3:41
  10. "Start Without Me"  – 3:11
  11. "The Poison"  – 3:46

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 Harcourt, Nic (2005). "It's Raining Cats and Dogs". Music Lust. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 105. ISBN   1570614377.
  2. ↑ "Achilles Heel by Pedro The Lion". Metacritic . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ AllMusic review
  4. ↑ "Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Billboard albums history". Rovi Corporation / Billboard . Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Punknews.org (May 25, 2004). "Pedro The Lion - Achilles Heel". www.punknews.org. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  7. ↑ Blanchard, Reuben (May 17, 2024). "Every Pedro The Lion/David Bazan Album Ranked Worst to Best". The Hard Times. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ Clarkson, John. "Pedro The Lion - Interview". www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Mitchum, Rob. "Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Pedro The Lion: Achilles Heel". AV Club. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ Achilles' Heel - Pedro the Lion | Album | AllMusic , retrieved April 18, 2025
  12. ↑ "Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
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