It was a little misleading to look at the psychedelic fish-deity gracefully hovering just above a frying pan, guitar in one of many blue hands, eyes closed and lost in some divine groove on mythical headphones.  Adding to the dissonance was the faint whiff of nag champa that wafted heavenward when I slipped the disc for “Demogod” out of its sleeve.  It was very strange to me that the packaging for an album by a songwriter with #1 Billboard hits could easily be mistaken for some suburban dad’s DMB hobby band.  

Disregarding this, Pahanish has the capacity to pen some universally appealing tunes, having a hand in a few hits for the likes of Toby Keith and Keith Urban.  He’s well-known amongst Nashville’s songwriters, and tirelessly active in hosting evenings at the Building and Dan McGuiness Pub, steady platforms that allow him to support new talent. However, like most scenemakers, he flies under the radar of popular awareness. 

“Demogod” is an outlet for Pahanish’s wide range of influences to run free.  It showcases his ability to produce a strong, possibly chart-climbing specimen in whatever genre he dips into. Soul, hard rock and folk are interpreted through the filter of his persona as the All-American Gypsy. There’s a party anthem in “Have a Good Time” and a down and dirty come-on in “Number 2.” Everything is fair game so long as women, weed and whiskey get their mention.

Of the bunch, I would pin the gentle, acoustic guitar-heavy track “Gypsy” as the most genuine, and “Peace Pipe” as the song most likely to in the middle of a bidding war between Eric Church and Luke Bryan. However, “Creation” really jumped out in the arrangement as the only track that had the magically groovy breath of Cee Lo Green to it.  I really enjoyed it, and it made me curious to know what would happen if Pahanish really let his aptitude towards neo-soul rip. 

While one would never question Pahanish’s dedication to his music, especially after catching a live performance, any live performance, as he plays them with such energy and conviction that I am sure a few shower doors have fallen victim to his enthusiasm, some of the album came across as detached to me.  This could be my ears misinterpreting the deliberate four-track recording as hollow rather than, say, affectionately lo-fi, but some songs seem more like foster children rather than his own flesh and blood. 

The variety of “Demogod” combined with the expert songwriting makes it an engaging album all the way through. His personality shines through whatever angle he approaches from, and in all reality, it’s probably impossible for Pahanish to write a bad song.  It’s a solid stepping stone on his path towards conquering Nashville.