Indie rock journeyman
David Pajo
's work under the
Papa M
moniker has taken so many different forms over the years that every album acts as a standalone document of where
Pajo
's head was at when it was made. In addition to a résumé of other gigs and projects that includes everything from genre-definitive work with
Slint
to taking the stage as the touring guitarist for
Gang of Four
,
's
releases have found him exploring rustic folk, post-rock meandering, sludgy metal, and much more.
Ballads of Harry Houdini
follows the relaxed and minimal
A Broke Moon Rises
by six years, and once again, he takes a totally different path than before. There are just six songs here, most of them with run times right around six minutes. The meditative side of
's work is left behind completely in favor of far more showy, spectacle-geared performances. Multiple tracks land midway between gnarled biker rock and Krautrock repetition. "Barfighter" throws a greasy funk bassline and vocodered vocals into that equation while "People's Free Food Program" ties together cyclical synth lines and burning guitar leads, all kept in time by spare live drumming. The majority of the album is instrumental, but
's raspy vocals appear on both the revved-up bar band workout "Rainbow of Gloom" and "Ode to Mark White," a storytelling tune in the tradition of
Leonard Cohen
with some added drive.
quickly discards his singer/songwriter hat in favor of sounds borrowed directly from
Neu!
and
Cluster
for the gorgeous closing track "Devil Tongue."
is another look into the playground of inspiration
has been running free on for years. It's a more lighthearted chapter in the ongoing
story, and some of its moments are among the most enjoyable in the project's entire catalog. ~ Fred Thomas