Papa M's
Two continues
David Pajo's series of singles made up of songs recorded in different cities across the U.S.A. The old folk standard "Black Is the Color" was recorded in Chicago by
Pajo solo. His fragile voice and gentle acoustic playing gives the song the feel of late-night bedroom recording. It is also strangely reminiscent of one of
Simon & Garfunkel's quieter, more foreboding moments. "Mary Was the Kind" was recorded in Bloomington, IN, with the help of Molly Kein on cello and
Maggie Polk on violin.
Pajo's oddly echoed vocals and the soaring strings bring a sense of unease to the dark lyrics and the beautiful melody. As much as
Pajo seems influenced by
Leonard Cohen and
Lee Hazlewood, he is also very much an original. Not too many other people make music of such small scale grandeur these days. The third song is the true masterwork here. "World's Greatest Sin" was recorded in Los Angeles by
Pajo solo and for five glorious minutes makes a claim to be the kind of song
Dylan can every now and then pull out of his hat. It is a tiny epic with a madly catchy hook. Heck, it even references "Blowin' in the Wind" for maximum music-geek pleasure.
Papa M is making folk music for people who hate folk music. It's hard to believe that at the same time
Pajo was making this beautiful and restrained music he was also treading the boards with the (also wonderful but in a completely different way)
Zwan.
–
Tim Sendra, Rovi