PAJO Issue #29

1968 (Drag City)

By Emily Anderson
Published: September 1st, 2006 | 12:00am

It’s tough to keep track of artists like David Pajo when they continue to churn out über-credible albums under at least four different monikers. In David Pajo’s case, he’s recorded under the aliases of Papa M, Aerial M, M, and since 2004, PAJO.

His solo discography is even further backlogged by his involvement with a variety pack of bands (including Tortoise, late ’80s underground prodigies Slint, and Billy Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins-rebound outfit Zwan). This fall sees PAJO’s second release, the dark and delicate 1968. In the vein of his own Papa M, PAJO weaves folksy tales of murder, malice, the devil, and redemption with vocals so slight they feel like afterthoughts.

Songs like “Wrong Turn” and “Cyclone Eye,” which are about hillbilly killers and suicide, couple PAJO’s demure vocal delivery with subtle, slightly menacing arrangements, while “Who’s That Knocking” and “I’ve Just Restored My Will to Live Again” provide a good dose of Americana-minded, lo-fi goodness.