Internet browsing tells me that Curse Your Branches is the first David Bazan record to be released under his own name. It comes on the heels of a great DVD and a couple of decent Pedro The Lion EPs. I also hear that it marks Bazan's first record where he actively embraces agnosticism. Not Victim In Pain style, but still an interesting step from a man long-thought to be a man of faith. Of course, he was bounced from Cornerstone ( for the uninitiated, sort of the Lollapalooza for the higher powered set) a couple years ago for being drunk, so he showed signs of a less conformist nature in the past. That said, he did play Cornerstone solo this year after having openly espoused his change in philosophical direction, so maybe there is some middle ground being trodden upon by both parties. Dogmatic assocations aside, Curse Your Branches is a fine record, whether billed as a Pedro or Bazan record. Most of my quarrels lie in the arrangements. Having harvested a number of recent Bazan solo acoustic shows from the interwebs, I have come to prefer him without a band. The first couple of Pedro records had a nice happy medium, but later stuff seems to find studio embellishment gilding the lily. Shockingly enough, this asshole's opinion hasn't stopped him from selling records (or my attending the shows). I'd pick it up and see what you think. At the very least, you might be able to make out with a hot repressed christian, an act not to be missed, if available. Buy Curse Your Branches from the good folk of Barsuk here and keep track of Bazan's whereabouts (which seem to include a gang of solo house shows) via this handy link.
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