Faith no more, but plenty of heart
David Bazan’res well-publicized quarrel with Christianity reached a breaking point with 2009’res Curse Your Branches, the sound of one man’res Dark Night of the Soul translated to searing indie folk. With his former band Pedro the Lion, Bazan frequently took on the role of musical prophet, turning out five albums of thoughtful, theologically-oriented songs. But with Curse Your Branches he shed his prophetic mantle, stuck out his chin, and took on his critics, his obsessive fans, and nothing less than the Almighty in emotionally charged, confrontational terms. The resulting album was as messy as any breakup album ever recorded, and as masterfully conflicted and musically intense. (READ MORE)