release date: Nov. 1, 2018
format: digital (10 x FILE, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Mark Kozelek
label: Caldo Verde Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "This Is Not Possible" - 2. "This Is My Dinner" - 3. "Linda Blair" - 4. "Copenhagen" - 5. "Candles"
9th studio album by Sun Kil Moon, aka Mark Kozelek, you may add. This is actually Kozelek's seventh studio album over the past two years (!). It follows six months after the album Mark Kozelek (May 2018) released under his own name, and, Okay, three of these seven albums are collaborations but still, it documents Kozelek's productive stint these days. Since Among the Leaves (May 2012), Mark Kozelek has released 13 albums including this one over a six-year-period - that's more than two albums per year (in 2017 alone he released 5 albums!). This release appears to have been recorded in the span of only a few days - one day at a studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, and three days spent in a studio in San Francisco, and Kozelek has put down 75 mins of music.
Mark Kozelek is main songwriter with most of the compositions being credited Ben Boye, Ramon Fermin, and Tony Scherr. The backing band consists of keyboardists Ben Boye and Chris Connelly, drummers Jim White and Scott McPherson, new-found guitarist Ramon Fermin, and jazz-sessions bassists Tony Scherr and Jeff Cleland. Two covers are included: track #7 "Come on Get Happy" written by Danny Janssen and Wes Farrell - a track stemming from the American musical sitcom, and this is the theme song to "The Partridge Family", and track #8 "Rock 'n' Roll Singer" by Australian hard rock band AC/DC credited Bon Scott, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young - a song Kozelek already included on his solo ep debut Rock 'n' Roll Singer (Jun. 2000) in a different version.
The album basically continues where Mark Kozelek ended, although, this one appears as a more incoherent product and perhaps an even bolder album founded on improvs. As a songwriter, Kozelek has evolved from writing more traditional conscious lyrics to a contemporary state where he seems to take inspiration in news subjects, and occurances from his private life, as well as things related to where he performs. It appears that many of his new songs have been made during live tours and then later put down in a studio - possibly with an attempt to recapture what had previously worked in live situations. Also his choice to include two tribute songs: tracks #6 "David Cassidy" and the AC/DC composition releates to the fact that David Cassidy and Malcolm Young (of AC/DC) both passed away during his live tour. I feel that the second half of the album (tracks 6-10) stand as more irregular / unprepared improvs, as if to see what happens if-we-just-tape-whatever-noices-we-make-in-the-following. This shouldn't work but the first half of the album actually has more than decent moments that I enjoy, but still, when comparing with many of his previous releases, this is not one of his better attempts.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, UnderTheRadar 3 / 5, Exclaim! 3,5 / 5 stars ]
