David Bazan has stripped Pedro the Lion down to himself, his tape recorder and basement, and sonically the result is fine. Winners Never Quit is an odd fable of a corrupt, self-righteous politician and his sweeter but equally wayward brother. The opening song, “Slow and Steady Wins the Race,” lends this whole affair more weight than it really deserves, and it is easily the best song on the album. Bazan works up a primitive blast of rock & roll on a couple of the songs, which gives Pedro more musical variety; otherwise, Bazan keeps it to the spare amateur vision he employed so well on It’s Hard to Find a Friend; not always for the best. An interesting album, spooky in spots, but other than the terrific “Slow and Steady,” this one’s a curiosity. – David Dwyer