Customer Reviews

FADING TRAILS [Vinyl]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had somehow forgotten that this one was on its way when I spotted it on the store shelf yesterday. Took it home with a little trepidation; after all, one never quite knows what to expect from a Jason Molina album. Will it be soft and contemplative? Loud and wailing? Turns out Fading Trails is somewhere in the middle, i.e. just right. Molina has made a career of capturing the plaintive sound of the rust belt, and here it's no different. A lot of great and sad songs, accented by pedal steel and some nice lead guitar noodling. Highlights include Don't Fade on Me and Lonesome Valley. A suitable companion to the self titled album and What Comes After the Blues. Seek it out.

This is the second MEC record I have bought (WCATB being the first). I'm already a huge fan. In my opinion, these guys deserve kudos equal to that which Will Oldham has enjoyed all these years. Except they are more consistent and have the decency to record their music in such a way that it is easy to hear, even on inferior equipment. Lo-fi schmo-fi. This is a superb companion to WCATB, which was one of my favourite LPs of 2006. If you're a fan of 'cosmic American music', I suggest you get into MEC pronto. They seem to tap into something which is entirely timeless, channelling The Band, Neil Young and the aforementioned Will Oldham in equal measures to provide a deeply satisfying listening experience that references nothing in modern music and is all the better for it. The only downside is this recording is a mere 28 minutes long. Hey dudes, how about a bit more content next time - they don't call it a Long Playing Album for nothing!

For me, it's a bit hard to be unbiased with any Molina related effort. I love all of his albums, both under the Songs: Ohia, and Magnolia Electric Co. monikers.
As far as it treading similar ground, as long as his music keeps this high a caliber, and he keeps singing in that blustery midwestern croon, I'm as happy as a lark. The brevity of the album bespeaks a restraint that comes with knowing anything extra would just be filler. 'Fading Trails' is weighed perfectly with songs that have already become my personal classics, and are a joy to listen to on every spin.

"You can't lose it all at once, can you really?"

although not as strong as their previous two releases,it's still superb.talk to me devil again,don't fade on me & lonesome valley are standout tracks.right now molina & co.can't do no wrong.can't wait for the upcomming box set.