Mark Kozelek/Sun Kil Moon - Mark Kozelek (2018) (and a ton of other releases)

[grassbath]

Seen posts on here discussing the music of Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon/Mark Kozelek/various other projects) before, but rarely see threads for new albums. Seeing as he has in the last six months released an 88-minute self-titled, an 89-minute Sun Kil Moon album, and announced a collaboration with Donny McCaslin, a thread seemed appropriate. This is of course on top of his insanely prolific 2017, in which he released an EP, three collaborative albums with Jesu, Sean Yeaton and Ben Boye and Jim White, a live album, and the 2-hour mind-boggler Common as Light and Love are Red Valleys of Blood. And he was no slouch in 2016 and 2015 either. Basically, since Benji, the guy just hasn't let up.

Much has been made of his recent stylistic developments too. With the extremely personal, soul-baring diaristic style of Benji seemingly marking a turning point, he's been releasing albums which more and more often amount to very long, detailed half-spoken rambling observations on a wide variety of topics, as well as anecdotes from the minutiae of his life, complete with abrupt detours, fourth-wall breaks, imitations of other people and musicians and apparently active attempts to provoke, confuse or bore the listener. All this over a wide range of musical styles, from the confrontational boom-bap of Common as Light... to the acoustic alt-folk that he's more traditionally associated with.

Some have attributed this to a sort of mid-life crisis (aging and death do seem to feature heavily, though they've been Koz lyrical mainstays since at least 1992); some have suggested that he's deliberately trying to alienate the Pitchfork audience that he gained with Benji; and some think that he can't be bothered to write proper songs anymore and loves the sound of his own voice.

I think a combination of the above is probably true, but I've got to say that I fucking love it and would take it any day over the whiny, unconfident-sounding slowcore of Red House Painters. Getting into each record is more like reading a novel than listening to music and requires a similar level of attention and time, and as such I've only scratched the surface of the releases listed above, but the deeper you delve you start to uncover the intertextualities of his life. When they resonate with you, he achieves transcendence out of mundanity. Despite his professed phobic attitude to social media, his recent catalogue is like the Kozelek Newsfeed; its unfettered mode of communication feels very much of our time, and nobody else in music is doing anything like it.

The self-titled from May is my latest jam and favourite record of his for a while. Because the music is built largely from gentle, gorgeous guitar loops, and Kozelek sounds relatively at peace with himself, you can vary your attention level; zone out completely and it works as ambient music, or tune in and coast along on a little slice of life in Kozelek-land.

All of a sudden the world got gray
So quit dancing at least for today
One minute there's life and love
Next minute, red valleys of blood

So there goes my vague rock song
I really tried but there's wars going on
And Syrian grocery clerks with sad looks in their eyes
Having interactions with homeless guys
Maybe you'll hear it and say, "I prefer your older songs."
Or maybe the world has changed and I'm not that songwriter anymore
Sitting around, moping about the hardships of being twenty-four (being twenty-four)
I've heard old that stuff, that's great, and it's available at the Amazon store (the Amazon store)"
I'm a sparrow, not afraid to take an arrow
And to bleed like Pablo Picasso
Did Lou Reed care what people thought?
Did Muhammad Ali care about what lessons
The United States thought he needed to be taught?

From the s/t:

This is my Town

My Love For You is Undying

Weed Whacker

[grassbath]

Come on! No less than three mentions of this guy's music in the 'songs you can't hear without crying' thread, yet nobody's interested in what he's been up to recently?

Or is that the problem?

[Cuellar]

I struggle slightly with the more recent stuff to be honest, although some of the stuff on Benji is powerful.

I listened to 'The Opener' as well a few months ago (or whenever it appeared on spotify), and despite not being bowled over I must admit that it's stuck with me, and it did sucker me into a sort of hypnotic state when listening to it. A bit like some of Tom Waits's spoken word tracks.

[The Culture Bunker]

I really like a lot of Red House Painters stuff, but struggle a bit on the songs that go on for (in my opinion) too long. I like a good bit of slow paced soul-wrenching as much as anyone, but someone when his songs go past the five minute mark, I tend to tune out*.

It's probably this feeling that's stopped me picking up any Sun Kill Moon stuff. 

*exception to the rule: "Katy Song"

[Twit 2]

'Gustavo' is one of the best songs ever written, isn't it?

I haven't the time to listen to anything much since Benji. Some of the more aimless stuff puts me off a bit too. I'll have to sit down one day and start ploughing through the recent stuff.

Didn't someone do a surgically precise parody of his rambly stuff? After you've heard that it does get hard to listen to the long spoken word stuff.

[wosl]

Kozelek of course is blessed with one of the most affecting rock voices this side of the Buckleys - clear, but with a faint underpinning of grit (someone once described David Sylvian's voice as being like "glass fracturing in velvet", a description which arguably fits Kozelek's voice better), with a lovely tonal range, and effortlessly and tastefully emotive (the effortlessness, I suppose, means that he never has to 'push,' and so usually stays within the realm of the tasteful quite naturally).  Super singer.  I like a fair amount of the Red House Painters stuff, especially, ('Bridge' and Old Ramon are my favourites), despite the odd outright embarrassing lyric (mostly confined to the 'Bed' album), but as noted above, things can get tiresome on the more drawn-out tracks, unless the tune/riffage is compelling (e.g. the version of Carry Me, Ohio on Nights).  I've not given the recent stuff enough of a listen, but this more unfiltered, 'dirtier' way of writing he's developed has done less for me.

[wosl]

Sorry for being tediously 'earlier funnier,' but Benji really did make me think I'd probably gone as far as I could along Kozelek's path.

[Pingers]

I really liked This is My Town, thanks for that. It made me think of Hal Hartley for some reason. Not fussed about the other two though, but I will have more of a poke around in his stuff, I was aware of Red House Painters but never really gave them much of a hearing and haven't heard anything he did after.

[grassbath]

I struggle slightly with the more recent stuff to be honest, although some of the stuff on Benji is powerful.

I listened to 'The Opener' as well a few months ago (or whenever it appeared on spotify), and despite not being bowled over I must admit that it's stuck with me, and it did sucker me into a sort of hypnotic state when listening to it. A bit like some of Tom Waits's spoken word tracks.

Yeah, that's sort of the vibe you have to get into. I find with the rambly stuff that you're more likely to be captivated if the musical backing speaks to you too. Which is why something like Birds of Flims, apparently a literal diary-recital about being bored on a film set in Switzerland, feels tremendously funny and true to life, because the music is so gorgeous - the fucking beauty of those guitars in the choruses! Or 'Bergen to Trondheim' (studio version sadly not on YouTube), where a great deal of ranting about the Orlando shooting and gun control is elevated by the inserted sound of an appreciative live crowd and a towering chorus that quotes Muhammad Ali's two-word poem 'me, we.'

Despite the proselytising above, I'm of the pretty conventional opinion that Ghosts of the Great Highway and Benji are his best achievements to date...

'Gustavo' is one of the best songs ever written, isn't it?

...with Perils from the Sea close behind. Yeah, it really is. There's something so sad and troubling and disorienting about that song. I want to assume given the confessional, true-to-life and on-the-nose trend in his later writing that it's a true story, but if so I have no idea how it's supposed to make me feel. Is it a 'this is just it, this is what life is sometimes like, and it sometimes is beautiful and it sometimes sucks' song, or is there some sort of moral agenda? Are we supposed to be critical of the selfishness of Mark/the narrator? Is he confronting a hint of latent racism in himself?

Ceiling Gazing from that album is also absolutely breathtaking.

I really liked This is My Town, thanks for that. It made me think of Hal Hartley for some reason. Not fussed about the other two though, but I will have more of a poke around in his stuff, I was aware of Red House Painters but never really gave them much of a hearing and haven't heard anything he did after.

Here's a handful of beautiful and not excessively long tunes to get you started:

Carry Me, Ohio

Third and Seneca

Young Love

[mojo filters]

I came relatively late to the Mark Kozelek party. I suspect I might have heard early Red House Painters in my teens, as some of my uber-shoegazey mates were really into just about every other 4AD band, but if I did it never registered.

I'm not the biggest RHP fan. I think given it's effectively just a well mastered quality demo recording, Down Colorful Hill is a noteworthy and interesting album. Unfortunately I struggle to get excited about what I think is genuinely an innovative slowcore vibe, especially when it comes to enjoying full albums.

On the other hand, I love classics like Mistress (including the brilliant piano version) plus creative covers such as Paul Simon's classic I Am A Rock. I enjoy listening to all of Songs From A Blue Guitar and Old Ramon, but their sound really seems more like a precursor to the epic first Sun Kil Moon album Ghosts Of The Great Highway.

The latter, along with Universal Themes, Benji and April are all stone cold classics as far as I'm concerned. Outside the regular canon I'd also put the Mark Kozelek & Desertshore plus Jimmy Lavalle collaborations right up there, with the 2nd Jesu collaboration 30 Seconds To The Decline Of Planet Earth running close behind.

I enjoyed the first SKM / Jesu album, but found Justin's contributions not quite such a good match for Mark's vox. Also he consistently uses slightly artificial and processed guitar sounds on those tracks, which I think are too brittle for subtle works of music.

I'm definitely not one of the naysayers who dislike his evolving musical styles, as I applaud Mark's bravery and the sheer force of his artistic will. Other musicians at his age could learn a lot by taking those kind of risks.

On the other hand I have to admit that since Universal Themes, I've not really found any of the SKM (excluding the 2nd Jesu album referenced above) output quite as satisfying. There are some great tracks like Astronomy, but too much inconsistency.

To be fair, I automatically bought Universal Themes on release and was disappointed not to hear Benji mk2. Determined to get value for money, I listened to the CD several times a day for over a week - then wham, something just clicked and the whole album came into a beautiful focus.

I now listen to Universal Themes more than Benji, though I can see why folks find the latter more accessible. I was further rewarded when I got a chance to see Paolo Sorrentino's Youth at an early screening just after it did the summer festival rounds, before the much delayed and virtually unnoticed release many months later.

Whilst Mark's scenes were nearly all lost in the edit, Youth is a criminally underrated cinematic masterpiece. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, as I found his previous English language film extremely tedious.

Compared to the epic Fellini-esque visual aesthetic of Sorrentino's acclaimed The Great Beauty and Youth, that Sean Penn film seemed like little more than a vehicle for a Sean Penn best actor Oscar nomination - which would not have been deserved, but is the only explanation I can think of for his awful over-acting!

When Common As Light And Love... came out, I made the same mistake of expecting it to be Universal Themes mk2, listening to it over and over. Sadly I never got that one to click, though I suspect if it was pared down there's a great album lurking in there somewhere.

I was similarly not so impressed by Mark Kozelek, and have not even got around to listening to the new album - though fans on Sad Reminders seem to like it. I do wonder if Mark is spreading his creativity too thinly right now, though I applaud his work ethic.

The last live album recorded with Minna Choi's Magik*Magik Orchestra was absolutely phenomenal, with some of the most impressive reworkings of classic and recent tracks I can think of. I was disappointed Mark didn't play more dates with that amazing ensemble, as his previous live gigs had become rather laboured, sounding sloppy and under-rehearsed in places.

Thinking about all this has inspired me to get the new album out, plus give some of the other recent material another go. Even if they still don't quite float my proverbial boat, as long as Mark keeps evolving and doing his own thing - I'm quite hopeful there will be another Sun Kil Moon classic coming along at some point in the next few years.

As an artist, I think Mark Kozelek is truly inspirational. Unlike certain fans, I don't begrudge him the great success he found with Benji. Good music always deserves the widest audience possible!

[grassbath]

The latter, along with Universal Themes, Benji and April are all stone cold classics as far as I'm concerned. Outside the regular canon I'd also put the Mark Kozelek & Desertshore plus Jimmy Lavalle collaborations right up there, with the 2nd Jesu collaboration 30 Seconds To The Decline Of Planet Earth running close behind.

I've not listened to 30 Seconds... yet, need to remedy that soon. The Jesu collabs didn't jump out at me as I tend to prefer my Kozelek atmospherics pretty and acoustic rather than heavy and grungy. Sometimes he strikes a perfect balance, as on Ghosts of the Great Highway. April I've only listened to twice or so, but never really understood the love for - just endless mid-tempo moping with nary a melody in sight.

It's a preference that makes Universal Themes a mixed bag for me - like you I was disappointed initially that it wasn't Benji mk2 and although I came around eventually, it was more on the strength of stuff like Birds of Flims and Garden of Lavender than the rest.

When Common As Light And Love... came out, I made the same mistake of expecting it to be Universal Themes mk2, listening to it over and over. Sadly I never got that one to click, though I suspect if it was pared down there's a great album lurking in there somewhere.

It's definitely a flawed album but it's a hell of a statement, as per the lyrics quoted in the OP - basically, 'that new style of mine that everyone hates, here's plenty more of it, and it's not going anywhere.' It came at a time when I think people were still sore from 'War on Drugs, Suck my Cock' and his general grumpy reaction to some success, and the album is pretty aggressive and maybe even a little mean-spirited at times. I do think though there's been some failure to grasp his sense of humour (one of the things I loved about Benji when it first came out was how many lines struck me as hilarious, but I don't think I've seen that quality of the album mentioned in a single review). Plus I'd argue that a lot of the ranting potshots are entitled, some arguably (social media users, music journalists) and some absolutely (Trump, transphobic bathroom laws).

A more charitable reflection on his recent art from the new self-titled:

Though some may find my specifying agonizing and trying
Long-winded and unsatisfying
Others may find it hypnotizing, comforting, and inspiring
Relatable and consoling

[mojo filters]

I've not listened to 30 Seconds... yet, need to remedy that soon. The Jesu collabs didn't jump out at me as I tend to prefer my Kozelek atmospherics pretty and acoustic rather than heavy and grungy. Sometimes he strikes a perfect balance, as on Ghosts of the Great Highway. April I've only listened to twice or so, but never really understood the love for - just endless mid-tempo moping with nary a melody in sight.

It's a preference that makes Universal Themes a mixed bag for me - like you I was disappointed initially that it wasn't Benji mk2 and although I came around eventually, it was more on the strength of stuff like Birds of Flims and Garden of Lavender than the rest.

It's definitely a flawed album but it's a hell of a statement, as per the lyrics quoted in the OP - basically, 'that new style of mine that everyone hates, here's plenty more of it, and it's not going anywhere.' It came at a time when I think people were still sore from 'War on Drugs, Suck my Cock' and his general grumpy reaction to some success, and the album is pretty aggressive and maybe even a little mean-spirited at times. I do think though there's been some failure to grasp his sense of humour (one of the things I loved about Benji when it first came out was how many lines struck me as hilarious, but I don't think I've seen that quality of the album mentioned in a single review). Plus I'd argue that a lot of the ranting potshots are entitled, some arguably (social media users, music journalists) and some absolutely (Trump, transphobic bathroom laws).

You are more charitable than me!

30 Seconds... is far more atmospheric than the first collaboration. To be fair whilst Justin toned down his ugly 7-string guitar, the best songs are still pure Koz.

I thought Ghosts... struck the same perfect balance as April. Admittedly the latter is more diverse, but if anything that's what makes it my favourite of all Mark's albums. I'm very surprised you think April lacks melody, as to me it is the album with the prettiest and most melodic tunes of all.

I've never thought of Universal Themes as a mixed bag. I was confused for over a week, but when it all finally made sense - it *all* made one coherent beautiful bunch of sense.

I suspect after loving the movie Youth so much, I've probably romanticised Universal Themes a little more. That's one hell of a film, even if Steve Shelly did fall asleep! But I also think This Is My First Day... is one of the greatest Koz songs of all time. It has an epic quality, and clever lyrical bluesy inversion, all wrapped up in such a noble sentiment.

I have to admit that despite the distasteful behaviour, I really like the song War On Drugs Suck My Cock. Such a neatly self-deprecating diss track, though I don't think it deserved it's own t-shirt.

I completely agree about the press and general inability to grasp Mark's sense of humour. I think given the narrative diaristic style, Mark has been remarkably restrained on Trump - especially since he got the same pre-2016 Michael Moore Midwestern vibe about his chances.

I think his new style is the perfect direction if Mark wants to take it. However I wish I could also keep up. Plus the price of 30 Seconds... is worth it for the beautiful solo Koz track A Dream Of Winter, even if you still don't like Justin's contribution. There are a couple of other great non-Jesu tracks there too.