Songs: Ohio "The Magnolia Electric Co." review

Well, I think I'd better leave the reviewing to folks who does it better. The following is from Keith's very periodic e-newsletter, "Destroyer". You can write to him to subscribe: spirit_anem@hotmail.com

You won't get reviews of the latest boyband albums or the Mariah Carey one. Though I suspect you might get the occasional Jennifer Love Hewitt (right on, brother!!!)...

Songs:Ohia
The Electric Magnolia Co. [Secretly Canadian]
Rating: 8.0

The bleak songwriting of Jason Molina always seems to be heavily burdened by cases and cases of unpleasant secrets � and Songs:Ohia records tend to be downbeat affairs with stubborn confessionals that can become more than a little grating (refer to last year�s Didn�t It Rain). The guy could use a break or two sometimes; hence this new album is Molina stepping out of his scary closet. The Electric Magnolia Co is his rock action, with a ten-piece band of crack musicians backing the songwriter. Of course Molina still sounds (and writes) as if he�s depressed as hell, but the slack vibes of the recording (recorded by that wacko Steve Albini) is more than enough to shakes away some of the blues.

The influence of Neil Young is an obvious signpost right from the start; on opening track Farewell Transmission, epic guitar hooks (circa Young�s 1976 album Zuma) take fleet wings, while on Just Be Simple, Jim Grabowski plays the Wurlitzer piano in a manner that sounded like how the instrument sounded on Young�s On The Beach (1974). Or take the album�s emotional centerpiece John Henry Split My Heart. On previous records, Molina�s apoplectic ranting would have been mired in tepid balladry; the version here sport a tumbling sound charged with desperate rage. The new record also scores extra points for its country sleight of hand, with Molina dishing out gorgeous country songs like Hold On Magnolia and Peoria Lunch Box Blues, the latter featuring Scott Niblett on lead vocals. Despair and the folk blues are Molina�s signature touches, but this album shows that a little countrified variety does add to the warmth of his songwriting � which is not necessarily a good thing to those scary Songs:Ohia obsessives who prefer their valiant protagonist moping all the time. Too bad fellows, Jason Molina is loosening up. [Keith]