The Pagan States - Debut CD, 2006
1. Skeleton
2. Million Shades of Curious
3. Pipe Dreams ...{mp3}
4. Bellwether
5. Silly Season
6. Wings of Wax
7. Harshmellow
8. Snowflake Obsidian
9. Resisterville
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Formed during a dark time in U.S. history, when we
learned that states came in colors and the blue ones
would soon suffer four more years of chaos and
corruption, The Pagan States give voice to the
disenfranchised. With a sound that both soothes and
stirs -- calling to mind such diverse influences as
Led Zeppelin, Joy Division and Slowdive, but sounding
like no one but themselves -- this Seattle band tugs
at the frayed edges of society.
The three primary players were pulled together by
songwriter, bassist and vocalist Randal Prater to
craft songs that speak to the soul. The union of
Prater and guitarist Peter Sawtell and drummer Gary Hunt was not a new one, however. In a different
decade, the three "states" produced several albums and
performed live shows as Creeping Myrtle . Added to the
mix this time around are Pagan "cities," vocalists
Daniel Keiran and Benjamin Thompson .
Prater does much of the heavy lifting on The Pagan
States self-titled debut, lending his unique vocal
style (a dreamy blend of Steve Kilbey and Daniel Ash)
and lyrical poetry to the bulk of the album's nine
entries. Under his steady supervision, each
collaborative effort is given room to breathe and
develop. No two sound alike, and all take the listener
on a new journey.
"Skeleton," the opening track, pounds its way into
one's consciousness, then backs off to deliver such
thoughtful lines as "Listen less and you'll hear much
more." Pain and loss are recurrent themes throughout,
revealing twisted relationships as close as the person
standing next to you and as remote as the White
House. "Pipe Dreams" is pure escapism, flowing in and
out of a throbbing intensity and an ethereal high. The
album closes with "Resisterville" and the lines "We're
so sorry, Elysian Fields would just take three.
Goodbye, goodbye."
The Pagan States are currently rehearsing for their CD
release show sometime in early summer.
