Pardoner - Came Down Different

Released in 2021, Came Down Different marked a creative peak for the San Francisco quartet. After a brief hiatus and a lineup shift, the band reunited to record this "full-circle testament" to their staying power in a whirlwind two-day session with veteran producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Jeff Rosenstock). The result is a sound that balances "loose guitars" and "pummeling hardcore" with some of their most melodic writing to date. It’s an album that feels like "a trip to the dentist’s office and a novocaine high"—numbing, abrasive, and strangely euphoric all at once.

The vinyl pressing highlights the "unpolished energy" and the "angular weirdness" that defines Pardoner. From the caustic opening of "Donna Said" to the breakneck shredding of "Spike," the album transitions seamlessly between slacker-rock indifference and high-intensity punk. For collectors of 90s-influenced indie rock, this Bar/None release is an essential document of a band that has rightfully earned its place as one of America's most exciting rock acts.