Just to clarify, David Bazan has said that he is now agnostic, not atheist (which seems to be the general perception). I think when he says, "I might as well admit it, like I even have a choice. The crew have killed the captain, but they still can hear his voice" I think he is saying that even though he has lost faith in religion, he still believes in the back of his mind that God might exist. I think "a shadow on the water, a whisper in the wind" also point to that fact. Although he is definitely struggling with his belief in God, most of the songs on Curse Your Branches are more a critique of organized religion.
Just to clarify, David Bazan has said that he is now agnostic, not atheist (which seems to be the general perception). I think when he says, "I might as well admit it, like I even have a choice. The crew have killed the captain, but they still can hear his voice" I think he is saying that even though he has lost faith in religion, he still believes in the back of his mind that God might exist. I think "a shadow on the water, a whisper in the wind" also point to that fact. Although he is definitely struggling with his belief in God, most of the songs on Curse Your Branches are more a critique of organized religion.