Were there such a thing as alt-rock royalty, DAVID PAJO would be swimming in blue blood. Not only was he a member of the influential post-rock deconstructionists Slint, but he also played with Chicago’s jazz-rock champs Tortoise, then lent a hand in Will Oldham’s fabled Palace projects and released a series of solo albums. None of these recordings came close to cracking the mainstream, but in the rock underground, they’re the stuff of legend. And yet nothing the Tyler-born, Louisville, Kentucky–based musician has done previously hinted at the sound of PAJO (Drag City). Acoustic guitars chime while a vaporous voice sings floating, Elliott Smith–like melodies. This could be a Southern California rock record were it not for a handful of louder, odder songs and the strange, appealing air of mystery that permeates each track.
