After one listen, it seems as though Paean wants to light a fire under your backside. With brooding vocal inflections, rustic strumming patterns and passionate lyricism, Dave Maddocks is a seasoned musician who has been leading Paean for over two years. Now, Maddocks and the other five Ft. Collins natives that comprise Paean have completed a tour, await the release of their new album and plan on playing local shows throughout the spring.

“First it was just me,” Dave explained. “ I met Marty through [MySpace.com], he brought John along and we all played together. I think at the first practice it was the original lineup.”

After initial bassist Andrew Hendrickson dropped out, Aaron Landgraft stepped in to fill his spot. Marty Albertz and Jonathan Alonzo both play various instruments but mostly play their guitars on stage. The rest of Paean is made up of Maddocks’ siblings, with Anna on violin and Tim on the drums.

Paean

A lot of good comes from this family dynamic, as the band was able to record Songs for Us to Sing in the Maddocks family barn, which Dave converted into a versatile recording studio.

A raw sound encompasses the new effort, a signature to Paean’s brand of frenetic rock. However, the album is heavy on influences that are not as nuanced as the vast production techniques.

Both Arcade Fire and the precursor to Cursive, called Lullaby for the Working Class, run through Paean’s instrumental blood. Dave’s recent song writing inspiration has come from Will Sheff’s Okkerville River, out of Austin, Texas. Alonzo and Albertz base their guitar tones around Broken Social Scene, Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Dave mentioned.

Every member has a compositional element for each song. “I have a general idea of how the songs should move, but most of the time everyone else will have a better idea for the direction,” Dave emphasized.

Anna’s earthy violin melodies soar atop the peak of Paean’s emotion, while reverb-drenched guitar lines swallow the listener whole, bringing them into the depths of Paean’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, Landgraft and Tim form a tight rhythm section that helps build upon Dave’s acoustic guitar work, without becoming overbearing.

Recently, Paean finished a week-long tour and is shifting its focus toward another out-of-state venture for the summer. Their last tour was important, as it got them into the traveling mindset. Still, Dave would like to do “more research” as to where the music is prevalent across the United States. The six may head to the Northwest after their album is debuted. An upcoming show at the Meadowlark Bar on Feb. 27 may become a Denver-based release party and more details are to come about a Ft. Collins show. No matter where Paean is in this new season, they are certain to rouse their listeners with each expanding anthem they write, record or perform.