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Songs: Ohia's delicate melancholy is capable of breaking
even the hardest of hearts. Jason Molina's fragile, weary,
and haunted voice is the soul of Songs: Ohia's beautiful folk
tunes. Songs: Ohia's lugubrious folk and delicate, fluid instrumentation
makes comparisons to Will Oldham or Smog's Bill
Callahan inevitable, but Molina's song writing is less oblique,
sometimes more harrowing, and often times more experimental. Simply
put, nobody has a voice quite like Molina's. Songs: Ohia continues
to make a case for itself as alt-folk's most prolific group with
the release of Didn't It Rain.
Didn't It Rain showcases Molina's talent for crafting emotionally
resonant songs. "Steve Albini's Blues" and "Didn't
It Rain" are dripping with his trademark somber angst. "Blue
Chicago Moon" is full of delicate metaphor, and the construction
of "Two Blue Lights" proves Molina's ability to create
deeply affecting compositions. The lyrics to "Blue Factory
Flame" are worth looking up on Songs: Ohia's website, even
if you don't get around to purchasing this album. Every single
one of the tracks are so poignant and sincere that it's almost
impossible not to immediately embrace them.
Process was vital to the finished album's feel here, as the album
was recorded live in a Philadelphia studio using strictly old-fashioned
recording techniques. Molina's voice is as fragile as ever and
the instrumentation still stark and minimal, but there's more
warmth and soul in these open, meandering compositions than any
other Songs: Ohia album in memory. Molina's quiet lyrical meditations
and heart breaking melodies make Didn't It Rain one of
Songs: Ohia's best albums yet. I'm willing to bet that people
who usually shy away from folk music would deeply appreciate Songs:
Ohia. Didn't It Rain is definitely well worth the sixteen
dollars.
-Emily Vandiver
Track Listing:
1. Didn't It Rain
2. Steve Albini's Blues
3. Ring the Bell
4. Cross the Road, Molina
5. Blue Factory Flame
6. Two Blue Lights
7. Blue Chicago Moon
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