Pilcrowe - These Badlands (2025)

The second album from Pilcrowe, by their own admission, is not a concept album, but rather a three-act play. Drawing inspiration from the rugged beauty of their home state of Arizona, it provides an exploration of struggle and perseverance amid desolate times. The first single, ‘North Rim’, takes us to an isolated part of the Grand Canyon to witness incremental change on an inhospitable landscape. Storytelling is the major strength on show here; the title track is a personal reflection on moving to new realities: “It’s funny how one day you wake up and don’t feel like anyone anymore.” The Dust Bowl era of the 1930s is explored on three tracks: ‘Black Sunday’ recalling one of the period’s darkest days, ‘New Deal Dirt’ reflecting on the human-made environmental catastrophe, and ‘Hope in the Harvest’ finishing the story as many refugees head to pastures new in California. The album concludes with ‘Some Days (Los Cerillos)’, inspired by the rolling hills of Northern New Mexico, and another reflection on the passing of time: “As the centuries stagger on, we turn toward the dawn. We’ve been here all along.” Recorded at the Woody Mountain Studios in Flagstaff, there is plenty to admire here as the band builds on their critically acclaimed debut “West of Centre”, making Pilcrowe one to keep an eye on in the future.