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Achilles Heel (album)

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2017}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Achilles Heel

| type = studio

| artist = Pedro the Lion

| cover = Achilles Heel album cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2004|5|25}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

  • Indie rock{{cite book|first= Nic |last= Harcourt |year= 2005 |title= Music Lust|chapter= It's Raining Cats and Dogs|publisher= Sasquatch Books |location= Seattle |page= 105|isbn=1570614377|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qwQNNY3MX54C}}
  • folk rock

| length = 38:11

| label = Jade Tree (JT1095)

| producer = David Bazan

| prev_title = Control

| prev_year = 2002

| next_title = Phoenix

| next_year = 2019

}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 71/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/achilles-heel/pedro-the-lion|title=Achilles Heel by Pedro The Lion|website=Metacritic |publisher=|accessdate=September 19, 2016}}

| noprose = yes

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r685715|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]

| rev2 = Pitchfork

| rev2Score = (4.7/10){{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6216-achilles-heel/|title=Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel Album Review – Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork |publisher=|accessdate=September 19, 2016}}

}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/achilles-heel-r685715/charts-awards|title=Billboard albums history|publisher=Rovi Corporation / Billboard|accessdate=November 12, 2011}}

Music and lyrical themes

Achilles Heel marked a departure from the band's the heavier, rock-oriented sound on Control, featuring more upbeat melodies{{Cite web |last=Punknews.org |date=2004-05-25 |title=Pedro The Lion - Achilles Heel |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/2965/pedro-the-lion-achilles-heel |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=www.punknews.org |language=en}} and sonic experimentation.{{Cite web |last=Blanchard |first=Reuben |date=2024-05-17 |title=Every Pedro The Lion/David Bazan Album Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://thehardtimes.net/lists/every-pedro-the-lion-david-bazan-album-ranked-worst-to-best/ |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=The Hard Times |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Clarkson |first=John |title=Pedro The Lion - Interview |url=https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=12133 |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Mitchum |first=Rob |title=Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6216-achilles-heel/ |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

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."{{Cite web |title=Pedro The Lion: Achilles Heel |url=https://www.avclub.com/pedro-the-lion-achilles-heel-1798199627 |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=AV Club |language=en-US}} Pitchfork panned the album in a 4.7 out of 10 review, calling it "topographically uniform" and a "stumble" for the band.

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.{{Citation |title=Achilles' Heel - Pedro the Lion {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/achilles-heel-mw0000330970 |access-date=2025-04-18 |language=en}} Similarly, in its 2012 retrospective review, Sputnikmusic rated the album 4.5 out of 5, citing its more autobiographical elements as a highlight.{{Cite web |title=Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel (album review ) {{!}} Sputnikmusic |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/49414/Pedro-the-Lion-Achilles-Heel/ |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=www.sputnikmusic.com}}

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

  • David Bazan — vocals, guitar, drums, synthesizer, bass and percussion
  • T.W. Walsh — bass, drums, synthesizer and guitar
  • James McAlister — percussion, drums and synthesizer
  • Casey Foubert — guitar on "Keep Swinging"
  • David Bazan, T.W. Walsh — engineering
  • Chris Colbert — mixing
  • Jesse LeDoux — cover art

References

{{reflist}}

{{Pedro the Lion}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Pedro the Lion albums

Category:2004 albums

Category:Jade Tree (record label) albums