Josephine

Sadly, Magnolia Electric Co's last album; takes a turn towards Harvest on the Neil Young worship spectrum. Jason Molina takes just a step towards crooning here, bass is pretty high in the mix, piano is all over. Made with the memory of recently deceased bassist Evan Farrell in mind. First half more of a folk-rock feel, things get darker later on. Really good album that unfortunately took some time to grow on me- don't expect Songs: Ohia or 10-minute jams.

RIYL Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Bonnie Prince Billy

*1 (3:28) Upbeat, bluesy, countrified; nice piano, bass rhythm, great chorus. Sax solo
2 (2:43) Piano ballad, rhythm, slow-surfy blues guit, chorus backing gives it a 50s feel
3 (3:22) Crunching guitar misleads, launches into nice piano/bass led, Molina's lyrics betray the only minorly sad instrumentation
4 (4:37) Murky slow country ballad,
*5 (4:12) Reworking of a demo from the late Songs: Ohia days (check 2 versions of it out on the reissue we have). (Semi-)upbeat guitar strums alongside longing country lick. Backing vox second half
6 (2:20) Plinking piano, trumpet, midtempo
7 (3:15) Dual lead vox to start, midtempo, big refrain at end
*8 (3:33) Starts slow but gets loud, pounding drums, jarring guitars, restrained shouting vox approach a restrained shout
*9 (3:42) Really bleak (without being sparse) slow burner on piano, almost angry
*10 (4:13) Groovy bassline, swirling organ; as funky as a sad folk-blues ballad can get
11 (2:03) Slow country blues crooner
12 (3:50) Dark, slow; scattered guitar crunches
13 (4:11) Slow piano ballad, swells up second half
14 (1:20) Short, sweet closer; country-folk backing vox