by Matt Watton (@brotinus)
The humble EP is less of a full-blown statement and more of an announcement – it’s a short transmission to say: this is what our band is all about. What does Pardoner, the well-established San Francisco (and sometimes Vancouver, now Philly) band, have to announce? Their declaration is simple: we’re a rock band, and we play rock and roll music. On Paranoid in Hell, out now on Convulse Records, it takes just four short songs to prove this point. Transversing the plains of the rock landscape, these tunes ebb and flow – or more like jerk and jive – through tempos, volumes, and vibes to show that Pardoner can do what other bands do, but only better.
Opener “Future of Music” flirts with a pop-punk bassline before giving way to a more interesting, slacker-rock progression of melodic strumming, not quite jangly but not too abrasive. Max Freeland’s lyrics about disillusionment with the alt-scene and music tastemakers is well-worn territory for the band (no group has gotten this many miles out of ragging on the industry since Pavement), but his wry delivery and repeated chorus, “I was given/a simple instrument,” signals resigned acceptance as much as tongue-in-cheek jibing. “Distant Star” begins life as a straight punk ripper, only to slow the tempo with a barrage of pulsating down strokes; a manic song that reflects the record’s titular paranoia. “Over the Moon” delights with a wistful, atmospheric vibe before slipping into a catchy bop of jaunty bass, guitar and, yes, recorder. Closer “Instrument of Peace” is another ripper with pummeling drums and growled vocals. The thesis of this song seems to be: we can make every guitar sound sound punk as hell in about two and half minutes: skronky clean tone, sludgy overdrive, chug-chugging, squealing harmonics, even some “Come As You Are” chorus pedal for good measure.
The thing that continues to impress about Pardoner is their whole-hearted embrace of production. This EP was recorded in a single day with producer Justus Proffit, and the band is not afraid to use the studio to create depth, tones, and textures. The aforementioned recorder is maybe the most prominent example, but throughout there are multiple layers of guitars interplaying with each other, little trills, tags, and lingering but intentional guitar noises that create a well-rounded sound. Also welcome is their subtle experiments with bass tone and a cleaner drum recording than you’re likely to hear on lots of punk releases. It’s these little things that make Pardoner’s recordings stand out, full-throated and in your face, but never muddy or sloppy. They’re slackers in ethos, but true pros as songwriters and musicians. A sizeable statement from such a tiny EP.