Customer Reviews

Tiny Cities (Dig)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mark Kozelek performs another act of musical alchemy with "Tiny Cities," which reimagines the pop tunes of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock as deeply inward, poignant evocations of love and grief, along with a kind of soulful endurance. This isn't the first time Kozelek has found a gold thread worth saving and woven a whole coat out of it -- his solo album "What's Next to the Moon" performed a similar act of poetic transubstantiation on the songs of AC/DC. Frankly, after listening to Kozelek's haunted version of the title track, hearing Modest Mouse's rendition is nearly painful. (Sorry, MM fans.)

Kozelek deserves credit for hearing the authentic poetry in Brock's associative lyrics, but the musical atmosphere on this record is wholly his own. Using a spare palette of acoustic and electric guitars with occasional -- and exquisitely tasteful -- strings (a la Beck's "Sea Change," which comes close to the mood of this album), Kozelek creates a unified statement that stands with his very best work, including the previous Sun Kil Moon album "Ghosts of the Great Highway," his solo project "Rock and Roll Singer," and great Red House Painters albums like "Ocean Beach" and "Songs for a Blue Guitar." This album also hangs together better than "Ghosts," which was so bursting with new ideas that tracks like "Duk Koo Kim" and "Gentle Moon" almost seemed to belong on different albums. "Tiny Cities," on the other hand, is sequenced so effectively that from the first moments of "Exit Does Not Exist" -- with its glittering harmonics -- the reader is drawn on a journey to an underworld in which every song seems to deepen the mood and intensity of the last.

There's world-weariness and melancholy in Kozelek's voice, but sadness this distilled and many-layered attains a kind of ecstasy of its own. His voice also has a confidence and subtlety here that shows a steady maturation from his previous work: he has fully arrived in the place he set out for after leaving behind the somewhat precious vocal affectations of his early Red House Painters material, as lovely as those albums were. The title track also performs the neat trick of seeming like the perfect song for our shadowy, apocalyptic time: "We're going down the road to tiny cities made of ashes..." Kozelek's revisioning of it sounds like a 21st century Nick Drake facing the end of the world with wit and an insistence that creating timeless beauty is the best revenge. Like the best of Kozelek's work, this album only seems more carefully constructed and deep with repeated listening. It's hard not to play it over and over.

Kozelek is one of the most original and underappreciated musicians working these days, and this is not only one of the best albums of the year, it's one of the handful of albums from our time that will still sound fresh and wise 30 years from now.

I've been a long-time fan of Mark Kozelek in just about every single musical project that he's undertaken. His early music in Red House Painters helped me through some rather rough periods of my life and his work since then has all been at the very least quite good. If nothing else, the self-titled (rollercoaster) release made me feel I wasn't alone in my depression, while Songs For A Blue Guitar still ranks as one of my top 10 favorite releases ever. When I heard that Kozelek was going to be doing an entire album of Modest Mouse covers, I was hopeful, but somewhat cautious.

It's true that he's done cover albums before and they've turned out fine. What's Next To The Moon seemed to wring emotions out of the music of AC/DC that I never thought possible, and over the years he's done amazing covers of both Simon And Garfunkel's "I Am A Rock" and even a weird version of the Star Spangled Banner. Unfortunately, Tiny Cities seems to be one of the first major stumbles for Kozelek, and there are several reasons for it.

The first is that instead of adding some sort of urgency or pulling out some unique quality from the songs themselves, most of his reworkings of Modest Mouse tracks completely sterilize the originals into rather mush-mouthed coffee-house covers. Kozelek picks songs from every single album from the group, and while I applaud his choices, his actual performances are pretty narrow in scope (usually limited to repeated guitar phrases and some sort of slight melody and timing change with the vocals). In fact, other than a couple tracks, it doesn't even sound like a Sun Kil Moon release, as only a few tracks feature much more than acoustic guitar and vocals. Instead, the release limps by with weepy covers of tracks like "Jesus Christ Was An Only Child" and "Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes" (the worst offender on the album) that suck most of the interesting qualities from the originals.

All of the above said, there are a couple standouts, including the full-band "Dramamine" (that keeps the woozy feel of the original and actually builds on it) and "Grey Ice Water" (where Kozelek duets with Emily Herron over a march-step snare and some pretty guitars). Out of the subdued pieces, the closer of "Ocean Breathes Salty" Kozelek manages to pull the ultra-melancholy out of the lyrics and set them to a subdued arrangement that makes the track his own (like the best of his covers). It was a valiant try, but Tiny Cities just doesn't have a lot going for it unless you're a die-hard fan of Kozelek.

(from almost cool music reviews)

... But honestly, I think this album is brilliant.

I know nothing of Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters/insert other name-dropping incident here], but I AM familiar with being a *huge* Modest Mouse fan.

That being said, I also have eclectic (admittedly bizarrely so) taste, and when this version of "Neverending Math Equation" was put on a mix CD for me, I didn't even realize what it was (I didn't have the track listing handy). I just thought, "Wow, this is a nice song... I wonder who is this?" Then it started sounding eerily familiar and as it dawned on me what the song actually was, I couldn't stop giggling. Bought the entire album, and now it pretty much lives on repeat.

If you're a "Modest Mouse Purist," so to speak, you may not like this album... AT ALL. And from what I've read, if you're a die-hard fan of *this* artist, you probably won't like it either. But if you're either a) addicted to cover songs, and/or b) readily open to and fascinated by the idea of reinterpreting different musical styles, then I recommend not only getting this album, but also getting the Modest Mouse originals and enjoy the Dichotomy Circus that ensues...

Yes, I am a long-standing Red House Painters/Mark K fan--from the first album (and some early SF appearances) on. And yes, I am particularly fond of Mark's covers. But this album is unreal.

I do not care for Modest Mouse, nor had I heard any of these songs prior to this album. And frankly, I'm glad. Because even though I enjoy Mark's covers for what they are, these songs work for me on an entirely different level, since they were new to me, and they harken back to the early (and best) RHP material. And having recently dug up the MM originals--none of which did much for me--I'm even more amazed by this man's ability to interpret the work of others.

Melancholy as Mark can be, I find much of this album quite uplifting. Now if Mark only got the commercial attention of which he is so deserving, all would be right with the world...

... it does. For those who like Sun Kil Moon, the flavor of this record is very reminiscent of Ghost of the Great Highway, a very delicate, lonesome-road kind of sound. How Modest Mouse's brash, disjointed edginess got melded to this style I have no idea, but it works, way, way better than you'd expect. This stuff goes right up with the Ghosts material for soul-searing beauty. I think Kozelek fans will like the outcome more than Modest Mouse fans will, but any way you slice it this is a terrific record.

I have read the reviews for this album on Amazon.com, and I must say that I am somewhat underwhelmed by what most people have written. Underwhelmed, but not surprised.

Both Sun kil Moon and Modest Mouse are amazing, so much so that they both reside in my top 10 favorite bands. Because both of these bands are so great in their own way, they have a way of creating hardcore fans who may close their minds to something different. And that is the problem. Sun Kil Moon and Modest Mouse can almost be considered to be polar opposites. People from both camps may be somewhat turned off because of the involvement of the other. To me, that is the real genius of 'Tiny Cities'.

Being familiar with both bands before I heard this album, I knew the beauty and power that these bands can infuse in songs. I loved both of these bands, but never imagined Sun Kil Moon covering Modest Mouse songs. So, when I heard that this album existed, I bought it immediately and with much enthusiasm, without even listening to the samples. And, as a fan of both of these bands, I would like to say that I love it!

Currently, I have a playlist open in media player, playing the Modest Mouse song, then the Sun Kil Moon cover, (I had already owned all the Modest Mouse albums that had all the original songs) and I could not be happier. The real genius behind 'Tiny Cities' is that it manages to transform songs that would seem impossible to interpret because of their level of musical challenge. What is even more impressive is that the heart from the original songs is somehow kept intact, and expressed through someone else's voice and musicality.

Okay, I will admit that when it comes to music, my tastes are extremely eclectic. Also, I have a very soft spot for cover albums, because I love to hear other people's interpretations of things that I already like. Also, given that this is essentially a Sun Kil Moon album, it may seem a little dense for exclusive fans of Modest Mouse. But I believe that fans on both sides can use this as an opportunity to broaden their horizons a little. 'Tiny Cities' is a great album, and is a labor of love and admiration. I like to look at it that way as well.

I recommend this fully to all who love music.

The first four songs rival anything in the Kozelek catalogue and overall the whole album is a must for his fans. If you enjoyed the first S.K.M album then this should be a no question purchase. Much like 'What's Next to the Moon' this album really makes you look at the lyrics of I.Brock in a new light. I've never been a big Modest Mouse fan but it's no matter, the songs are strong on their own merits. The album has not left my cd player since I bought it. I can understand why people may initially be upset at an eleven track LP that clocks in at just over thirty minutes but don't let that small issue prevent you from buying it. The songs are fantastic. Another fine album.

I am of the school that was hoping for a little bit more from this album. I know it's not very fair to judge this against Ghosts of the Great Highway, but I can't help at least comparing them a little bit. I bought this album and listened to it through several times before finding out it covered Modest Mouse songs. Here were my objective opinions of it at that time: Good, but nothing grabbed me like in the first album. I remember listening to the first album feeling like Kozelek had his fists wrapped around pieces of my soul. Not so much with Tiny Cities. The songs were all nice, all wonderful, but it was almost like comparing Kraft Singles to a block of aged sage cheddar. Still cheese, but the Singles are just too small and not quite satisfying. Only one song goes over the 4 minute mark. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't lose myself in it like the previous album. I didn't feel like he was laying his deepest feelings bare, which is obviously a bit more difficult to do while singing someone else's lyrics, and it showed when I first listened to the album. Now that I have heard it several more times it has grown on me a bit, but I still find myself listening to Ghosts of the Great Highway most nights, as I have for the past two years. I love Kozelek's music and I applaud him for this cd, but I hope the next one wows me like the rest of his music has.

PS One exception on this album is the song "Ocean Breathes Salty". What a beautiful song. This is what I had hoped the whole album would turn out to be...

Update: I am an idiot, and spoke too soon. Five Stars. You will love this album.

I am a huge Mark Kozelek fan and I was very glad to get my copy of Tiny Cities recently in the mail, I have not stopped playing this cd since I have gotten it and I will not tire of it for some time. The chord changes and Guitar playing are like Leo Kottke "fantastic" but it is Mark's voice which is the best I have heard on any cd from him yet. Though mark did not write the words on this album the music is really great. I saw him in Boston last year at the Middle East Club and got his autograph signed as MK on my cd I brought along with me and he is a great live artist too. This album has a Red House Painters sound to it but different and better in my opinion, every song is great on this cd. Buy this cd you will not be disapointed. Mark is a underated artist that I feel will still hit the big time if his songs get played on mainstream radio. Enjoy Tiny Cities

for the most part, sun kil moon & red house painters = mark kozelek. he writes, produces and plays practically everything. koutsos and stanfield make appearances, but in my mind their additions to the music are pretty negligible.

kozelek has always done an excellent job covering songs throughout his career, from the cars to ace frehley [of kiss fame] to ac/dc. in general, his covers are interesting because he for the most part tosses the melody and invents his own, keeping only the lyrics. in this way, he makes the song his own--it conforms to kozelek's own style and idiosyncracies.

the best comparison here is 'what's next to the moon', his ac/dc covers earlier in the decade. but whereas that cd covered relatively unknown [at least to most 'alternative music' fans, whatever that means] tunes with radically changed melodies, this one falls short. few of the tunes get a radical reworking and practically all of them are well-known to even casual modest mouse fans.

there are some exceptions, especially 'exit does not exist' and the last track, but these tunes are not even the best isaac brock tunes lyrically. where is 'baby blue sedan', 'bankrupt on selling', 'wild pack of family dogs'? if you are going to toss the music and keep the lyrics, at least pick better tunes