| The liner notes of Pedro’s self-titled debut are blanker than Robert Downey Junior’s “ideas for kicking smack” brainstorm sheet. Unfolding the simple sheaf reveals two colored panels: one’s a deep pinkish red, while the other’s offensive mustard yellow. They’re hues you might spot after taking shrooms and staring at a traffic light for an hour. Understanding the motivations for the design decision is as difficult as wrapping a suitable title around the UK-based instrumental wunderkind (real name James Rutledge). The album is a circuitous jogging tour that finds Pedro introducing frenzied influences without breaking the high-impact pace. The nine-track line-up consists of recordings completed between 2000 and 2002, offerings that prove that maintaining an awareness of compositional fertilization can reap an intelligent, accessible crop. The eerie piano recital feel of “Dead Grass” starts like a surreal Lollipop Guild funeral march, but Pedro’s dreary second-half percussion work sends all somber partiality back to Kansas. “123” relies on a roster of concise rhythms that rock steady and true. The opening minute of “Seven Eight” sounds like a xylophone monsoon beating down on a house encased by steel drum siding. “Fear & Resilience” is a next-level thesis paper addressing the oft-wavering relevance of instrumental hip-hop. The track begins with all the enigmatic ardor of The Books, only to shift thanks to swashbuckling horns and static-prevails double-time drum loops. After reaching the scrambled-space-transmission conclusion, you might find yourself wishing you could’ve stayed longer. Don’t fear: Fear & Resilience is packaged with a second disc featuring “Fear” remixes by the likes of Prefuse 73, Danger Mouse and Home Skillet. Of course, these cuts are just bonus gifts you receive for participating in the 30-day Fear & Resilience home trial, and the product’s solid enough to toss the money-back guarantee in the waste bin. Although Rutledge sometimes tends to dip his ladle a little too deep into the sonic stewpot, dinner’s still delicious. - Okayplayer |
![MH-240 Pedro - Pedro [2006 Edition]](/album_art_front/MH240_F.jpg)
1XLP/Out Of Print