David Pajo has remained a relatively cult figure and that seems to have been quite intentional. It has always been about the quality of the music, over the potential profits, he’s explained. His contribution, over the years, has been nothing short of outstanding. He was guitarist for Slint on their watershed post-rock moment Spiderland, as well as its metallic predecessor, Tweez. He played on vital albums by Tortoise and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and was even a member of Zwan. Recently, he’s helped keep Gang Of Four on the road by replacing Andy Gill who died in 2020. Hopefully Pajo realises how highly valued all this is, by those in the know. He has described the survival of a suicide attempt, in 2015, as a blessed second chance.
Papa M is his solo identity. It has no fixed pattern. Often he records alone, though not always. Sometimes he sings; many pieces are left instrumental. He might stick with a single, coherent style throughout an EP or LP. On other releases, he does not. 2018’s A Broke Moon Rises was an acoustic endeavour, with no vocals, culminating in an interpretation of Arvo Pärt’s magnificent ‘Spiegel Im Spiegel’.
Ballads Of Harry Houdini is more like a spiritual sequel to the rockier and cross-genre Highway Songs from 2016. It feels deceptively slimmer with just six songs, rather than nine. In fact, its total running time is ten minutes longer. Maybe more focused, then? The opening piece features a repetitive muted chug on the guitar strings, with earthy drums, over which Pajo’s lead licks conjure images of a slinky octopus trying to propel and thrash its way out of a coral maze.
In contrast, ‘Ode To Mark White’ is a waltzing folk song with gravelly vocals. Its music grows heavier and more distorted, and finally much sparser, as the narrative unfolds. The next track maintains the crisply recorded drumkit, now accompanied by a synth pattern and kosmische noodles which sound like they’re travelling backwards (or being played by Phil Manley from Trans Am and Terry Gross ). ‘Barfighter’ is Slint delightfully reimagined as a hard-funk outfit. ‘Rainbow Of Gloom’ sets miserable lyrics to a catchy melody with its ZZ Top solo offsetting the temporary despair. ‘Devil Tongue’ is 1999’s ‘Arundel’ given a sunnier, surfy twist.
“Like fuck, I don’t make content – I’m trying to make something compelling,” Pajo told Echoes And Dust a few years back. Papa M’s music gives the impression that it is asking questions or searching for something along the lines of an answer. Whether that’s provided or, most likely, not is beside the point. It’s the ever-engrossing journey that matters.
