Songs:Ohia
Didn't it rain
Songs:Ohia is Jason Molina, backed on vocals by Jennie Bedford and accompanied by a few more musicians. It is difficult to tell who is doing what here, as the liner notes don't bother to reveal it. It little matters though, as for the most part the music is just guitar and vocals. Those who know me, or at least those who browse my music collection, know I am especially partial to sad and depressing music. It's not that I am a sad and depressing person, as I really am not, but sometimes this sort of music helps you when perhaps your friends and family cannot.
Make no mistake: this is a sad and depressing album, and unlike most, there is little hope here. There is not much here but bleakness and soul crushing defeat, as related by deadpan vocals and sparse instramentation. And despite this, it is an absolutely beautiful thing. Although there are only seven tracks on the album, the 43:23 running time makes it a full-length.
The sound here, as hinted to, is streched pretty thin. Often just an acoustic guitar, sometimes electrified for emphasis, but always lumbering along at the speed of spilt molasses. Often Mr Molina is accompanied by the aforementioned Jennie Bedford, and this is always lovely. Sometimes he is accompanied by a male voice, and sometimes both. Ring the Bell mixes it up a bit by adding in a thin drum line and incorporating a cello to good effect, and what else is that? Banjo? Mandolin? Often the individual voices are lost to make up a more coherant whole. The whole album seems to be on the verge of collapse, both musically and emotionally. But a small taste of the predominant mood can be sampled from the absolutely georgous track Two Blue Lights:
You can't hear it, but you can tell
When the bells ring ten times in hell
The bells ring ten times in this town as well
This is not an easy listen, and it will do little to endear itself to your more upbeat friends. This is an album to be enjoyed by yourself, for your own private reasons. If you've read along so far, and this sounds like something that appeals to you, this album will serve you well through many a bad time or lonely night. It is totally fucking brilliant.
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