You know how “prolific” sometimes serves as a label for artists who have to compensate for lack of quality with numerous insignificant releases? Well, when it comes to Molina this is not the case.
With Magnolia Electric Co. he has now released his 16th full length album on Secretly Canadian. Still, when you put this number in this very special context it seems almost sparse. His ability to make use of the cathartic function of songs fills up his magnificent albums, full of tales of being downtrodden by some seemingly inherited gloom. But there are never any platitudes being thrown around, nor is there any wallowing in self-pity. This is why his songs are a beautiful mixture of frailty and strength, a dichotomy that reverberates in his expressive voice.
“Josephine” is the title of the new album, the first full length release since 2006. There are now two songs available to give us a little taste. The title track is strangely upbeat. Thankfully it has a really strong chorus because it has some very heavy lyrics to carry. Molina has long been steering towards the company of rootsy rock outfits. Musically the road from the dark folk days of Songs: Ohia has led to a more alternative country/classic-rock sound. His lyrics and majestic voice keep him pretty lonely on that highway, though. In a sense, that’s where his songs usually take him; to a long, dark road, unclear of which way he’s bound.
In Between Songs 