The title of this album is rather ironic, given that David Bazan (Pedro The Lion’s captain) seems more like the Charlie Brown type- the one who got rocks in his trick or treat bag and couldn’t kick the football if his life depended on it- than a “winner”. It’s hard to picture a guy who sings such heavy tales of despair and emptiness going for the gold. “Slow And Steady Wins TheRace” kicks things off on a downbeat note, as Bazan strums his guitar and recounts a story of leaving his injured brother in the woods as he travels to Grandma’s house, in the ghostly poet vein of Damien Jurado or Neutral Milk Hotel’s sparser moments. At times, Winners Never Quit nods to another lovable loser, Lou Barlow, as Pedro kicks it out Sebadoh-style on “Simple Economics”and “Never Leave A Job Half Done”, the latter showcasing some pretty harrowing lyrics (“Bloodstains on the carpet/Blood stains on my hands/Drag her toward the kitchen/Hide the evidence”- yikes...), while the manic folk of “Bad Things To Such Good People” pours forth with loss and agony that would make Will Oldham nervous. By the end of the record, you know the poor guy is never going to manage to kick that football (and I’m sure that’s the LEAST of his worries...), but at least he pulled it together long enough to share his pain with us all. (erika)
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