Didn't It Rain [Deluxe Edition]

Jason Molina (really wish I didn’t have to say RIP) is probably one of the best singer-songwriters of our time, and this is a reissue of the second-to-last album he recorded under the Songs: Ohia moniker. Stark, dark, cutting, chilly, and yet comforting in Molina’s unique way, this is the bridge between the murky, ambient beauty of Ghost Tropic and the full-on rock of Magnolia Electric Co. One of the most overtly bluesy things Molina ever did (the word “blue” appears in four of the seven song titles), the album foregrounds Molina’s emotionally fraught and stunning lyrics.

The value of this reissue comes in Disc 2, a collection of Molina’s minimal demos for this album. If you’re a Molina vet, give Disc 2 a spin. If you’re new to Molina, listen to Disc 1 immediately, then check out everything else he’s done. All songs are slow. Favorites: 1-1, 1-2, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 2-4, 2-6, 2-8. No FCCs.

Disc 1 (The Album)
1. *(7:52)—Mostly strummed acoustic guitar and vocals, but with bluesy, wordless harmonies.
2. *(5:51)—Loping. Still no drums, and the group vocals are hair-raising.
3. (6:11)—Electric guitars, drums, and cello, but still subdued. Builds slowly, segues into next track.
4. (6:00)—Foreboding. Barbed electric guitar.
5. *(8:29)—Minimal rock, like Neil Young & Crazy Horse playing into a freezing void. “When I die, put my bones in an empty street.”
6. *(2:14)—Soft, simple, pretty. “When the bells ring twelve times in hell, the bells ring twelve times in this town as well.”
7. *(6:49)—Slow, rocking, dark but uplifting.

Disc 2 (Demos)
1. (6:57)— Similar to the final version. Sounds like it was recorded in a park.
2. (6:49)—Muted, insistent strumming. Very minimal—two chords.
3. (5:03)—Similar in feel to the previous demo. Minimal, muted.
4. *(8:20)—Awesome. Even more desolate and bluesy than the final take.
5. (3:04)—Pretty similar to the final version.
6. *(6:33)—Lovely guitar playing. Much more forlorn than the final version.
7. (4:29)—Later recorded for a 7”. More strident, but still melancholy.
8. *(5:06)—Later recorded for Pyramid Electric Co. Soft, with wordless falsetto. Sounds of children playing in the background.