Progress

Pedro the Lion’s first full-length It’s Hard to Find a Friend and subsequent EP The Only Reason I Feel Secure cultivated a dedicated fanbase for songwriter David Bazan’s bittersweet melodies, somnambulist instrumentation, sparse arrangements, and introspective lyrics. When Pedro the Lion issued their second album Winners Never Quit, fans were challenged with a concept record with a heightened pulse, bolder guitars, and a long-form narrative that replaced Bazan’s trademark truncated parables. Any concerns that Pedro the Lion were heading into more turbulent waters were quelled by the Progress EP released by Suicide Squeeze Records three months later. “June 18, 1976”, a humble minor-key ballad that follows an unwed mother’s postpartum tragedy, harkens back to somber simplicity of earlier tracks like “Secret of the Easy Yoke”. Companion track “April 6, 2039” is a lush marriage of Pedro the Lion’s singer-songwriter predilections with newfound electronic components. The song would later turn up as “Progress” on the Control album. The CD version of the EP contained acoustic renditions of classics “Of Up and Coming Monarchs” and “Letter From a Concerned Follower”. As part of their 20^th anniversary celebratory series, Suicide Squeeze is proud to offer a limited expanded vinyl repress of Progress containing all four songs from the CD version of the EP. The Progress 7” has also been given brand new gatefold packaging from esteemed designer Jesse LeDoux. The EP is limited to 1000 copies on pink-and-blue swirl vinyl and includes a download card.