April

First listen to "Lost Verses," the sweeping, majestic 10-minute opening track to Mark Kozelek's new album "April" made me think, 'This is the perfect distillation of everything amazing and good he has done as an artist in his career.' All the hallmarks are there, the beautifuly played, hypnotic and well-recorded guitar parts, the voice flat-yet-full and mournful, the lyrics that remind you of your own missing friends and lost memories... It's gorgeous. And yet, rather than what we would call "growth" and expansion, Kozelek continues to drill down deeper into his obsessions. That means if, like me, you have been following him since the dawn of the Red House Painters, you know what this sounds like. The grades are noted in levels of gorgeousness, not newness. For a neophyte fan, this is a perfect introduction into everything that makes Kozelek so distinctive and moving. But I found myself drifting at times during the middle cuts. One song is a chord-for-chord take, with new lyrics and melody, of "Rock N Roll Singer," already a reimagining of an old AC/DC song. The guitars and drums have the exact same fuzz and sound to them. It feels like a complete lift, and for the fans -- almost as obsessive as Kozelek is -- it should not be enough. It's irksome.
I made sure I didn't play "April" for the first time until very late at night/early in the morning because when everyone else has gone to bed or out of the house, that's when Kozelek's flower blooms -- in the hard hours. It certainly worked its way into me at its best points, and there are many. It is more of the very good same, but same nonetheless. How that is judged will be deeply personal. Again, for newcomers, by all means, this is a great introduction to Kozelek. Longtime fans, of course, will want to stay close by as the artist performing as Sun Kil Moon continues to build his monument to loss.

There's this trend in music today, that when you have a song that is 7 minutes or longer, it has to be "epic." That is to say that at some point in that 7 minutes, preferably at the end, there needs to be this triumphant climax. The rest of the song either builds up to that point, or maintains the epicness of it all. Apparently, Mark Kozelek has never received a memo on this notion. As Sun Kil Moon, his songs often far surpass the 7-minute mark, but almost always remain strangely restrained - forcing the listener to either embrace his style of music, or reject it for something more "exciting."

His debut album, Ghosts of the Great Highway is still getting regular plays on my iPod to this day! Songs like "Carry Me Ohio" and "Glenn Tipton" are haunting tales, told over mysterious guitars that I don't think I'll ever tire of. Naturally, I was excited when I heard that he would finally be releasing some new original material. It's been almost 5 years since we last heard from Sun Kil Moon (when not covering Modest Mouse, that is), and I am pleased to say that the wait makes everything about April better.

Like its predecessor, April doesn't dwell in the conventions of modern music; even in the indie realm. It slowly meanders through its 11 tracks, taking the listener on warm journey. Kozelek paints the most eloquent pictures with his words - of heartache, love, regret, and hope. On the album opener, "Lost Verses," he croons, "I've risen up from the dead/With the burning leaves of autumn/If only for one last chance/That all of whom have been defeated/To put on my father's wool coat/To smell my mother's fragrances and perfumes/To find my young brothers and sisters/To never leave or let them go." Such an image is vivid enough for most artists to write an entire song about, but for Kozelek it's part of an even greater vision.

As expected, many of the songs on April can seem repetitive. More often than not, Kozelek will take a single guitar riff and stretch it out over the length of the song, adding and removing layers as it moves along. Strangely, this has never really bothered me about his music. His voice, a mid-range whine or croon, has always captivated me and blended perfectly with the music that surrounds it. As such, I've often found myself completely lost in his songs, suddenly realizing that minutes have past while I enjoy them. For example, while listening to "Tonight in Bilbao" for the first time, I completely drifted off (in a good way) until the song's curveball coda at the 7:30 mark. "Mesmerizing" is an understatement, as these songs are just downright beautiful pieces of music.

Taken as a whole, April, can be somewhat draining, perhaps even tedious to some. But if the whole is in fact the sum of it's parts, then this album can only be considered a great achievement for Kozelek. Every song on this album is a beautiful, well-paced work of art. It is definitely not for everyone. April is an album that was made with patience, and performed with patience. Therefore, a bit of patience may be required from an uninitiated listener. But when it finally does hit you, prepare for hours and hours of entrancement and reflection. Great music has the ability to bring out some strange emotions. April has, at once, reminded me of that and made me glad for it.

Key Tracks:
1. "Lost Verses"
2. "Lucky Man"
3. "Unlit Hallway"
4. "Harper Road"
5. "Blue Orchids"

7 out of 10 Stars

Sun Kil Moon fans should not really expect anything startlingly different on this record from his previous entries. It has the same delicate intricacies of Ghosts of the Great Highway, and many of the same timbres of Kozelek's solo cover records. Plus, a number of these tracks he's already played live and are available on the live double-disc Little Drummer Boy. (These songs, such as Unlit Hallway, have been expanded with harmonies and arrangements here.) There are some interesting new rhythmic pulses and timbral tweaks -- this record is a bit mellower than Ghosts, even though you probably thought that was not possible, and there's a greater use of banjo to give it an even more haunting sound. Thematically it is a bit different, focusing more on relationship songs and less on lonesome roads and long-forgotten boxers of the early 20th century.

But overall, this is the perfect follow-up record, and high time. Kozelek, in his solo career, has hit upon a blissfully melancholic sound. These songs are long, meandering, gorgeous. Get this disc.

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