release date: Jan. 21, 2016
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]
producer: Mark Kozelek & Justin Broadrick
label: Caldo Verde Records - nationality: USA / England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Good Morning My Love" - 3. "Last Night I Rocked the Room Like Elvis and Had Them Laughing Like Richard Pryor" - 4. "Father's Day" - 9. "Exodus" - 10. "Beautiful You"
Collaborative project between British musician Justin Broadrick under his stage name, Jesu, and American artist Mark Kozelek under his stage name, Sun Kil Moon. The album is like Kozelek's collaboration Perils From the Sea (2013) with electronic musician Jimmy LaValle released on Kozelek's label Caldo Verde. Jesu emerged in 2003 as a trio after the break-up (2002) of the British industrial and metal band, Godflesh, but from day one it was Broadrick's idea and from 2007 Jesu has been a one-man project. Similarly, Sun Kil Moon was originally a band formed from the remnants of the Red House Painters (disbanded in 2001), which after a few years became Mark Kozelek's solo project. Kozelek and Broadrick have already been close acquaintances for several years, beginning when Kozelek reportedly contacted Broadrick back in 2007 about releasing music with Jesu on Kozelek's label Caldo Verde, which lead to the release of the Opiate Sun (2009) ep, which is also the first release from Jesu as a solo project, and later also the full-length album Ascension (2011). Kozelek also named his 2013 covers album Like Rats after the Godflesh song of the same name (the track is featured as the second cut on the album).
Stylistically, it's quite an original mix of shoegaze, noise rock and alt. folk, which is in no way surprising when you consider Broadrick and Kozelek's musical career. These are mainly compositions with lyrics and music by Kozelek and Broadrick, and with individual guest appearances from various vocalists, which include Will Oldham (better known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, featured on "Fragile"), Rachel Ann Goswell of shoegaze band Slowdive ("Father's Day", "Exodus" and "Beautiful You"), and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse ("Beautiful You").
Apart from a single track where he also plays acoustic guitar, Kozelek is solely credited as vocalist, while Broadrick is featured as multi-instrumentalist. And it is also the latter's characteristic wall of sound, which forms the background for the music on Jesu / Sun Kil Moon, while Kozelek, with his characteristic vocals in the foreground, creates a form of traditional musical structure and acts as a counterpoint to the electric discharges, even if he occasionally indulges inspired by the wall of noise and almost manically spits out the words. However, it is Kozelek's stories that carry the tracks forward, while Broadrick's soundscape in a way represents the noise that Kozelek talks about.
It's Kozelek's more self-experienced short stories that press forward. The form is diary-like notes, or fan letter readings like on track #3, about what he does, who he runs into, and what they said and did in momentary glimpses that fill out the lyrics. In this way, Kozelek demonstrates the path he is on as a songwriter in terms of the narrative. To the astonishment and irritation of some - and to the delight of others - because it is indisputable that Mark Kozelek is a storyteller with something on his mind, even when he tells about apparently insignificant incidents.
All in all, it's an exciting constellation, albeit also a demanding album that doesn't reach the same artistic heights as Kozelek's collaboration with Jimmy LaValle.
[ allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound 3,5 / 5, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]
