Track Review: Pedro the Lion ‘Yellow Bike’

Before the kick of opening measures of “Yellow Bike,” the complexity of the color palette and complimenting textiles of the cover art captivates the eyes. The scheme pays homage to their essential image of alternative and indie rock roots. This track naturally suits their origin sound and appoints the tonality of the appending sequence.

The song begins with an echoey ambience while David Bazan reminiscences an early, temperate, Christmas scene. It’s a yellow bike beneath a tree that sparked the realization of the beginning of a new journey.

He knew then, that he was born for the road. His heart was racing, his hands were shaking; he couldn’t tame his lion’s heart. He became animated, nearly animalistic. This feeling derived from pure excitement and the anticipated pleasure of newfound freedom.

“Yellow Bike,” is Pedro the Lion’s first release since 2004’s “Achilles Heel.”  The Seattle-based band took a hiatus following a spilt in 2006. Bazan continued to make music independently, but eventually declared that he “missed the energy of making music.”

Traveling unaccompanied was gradually becoming a hardship. An overwhelming feeling of fatigue and apathy overcame Bazan and he knew he had to be in a band again. Hence “Yellow Bike.”

Over the continuous strum of electric guitar and  bass, Bazan confronts the duel reality between initially finding a new sense of freedom instituted in his childhood and a hungering anguish of adulthood. Childhood is saturated with comfort, a sense of ease, and substantially a breath of fresh air. Adulthood is packed with pressures and adversities. “Yellow Bike,” adequatly depicts both halves of reality.

The handlebars remodeled into a steering wheel, and the emotion of independence diminished to solely the devotion of searching for somebody to ride with. The melody remains lifting as the story advances into a never-ending appetite; something that you steadily crave more of.

“Yellow Bike” is the first single from Phoenix, which will be released on January 18th, 2019.